Seven Days of Blue
by Flying Chariot
Summary: A major doubles tournament is due in the Smash World. The Smashers are assigned to a partner at random, and Lucina discovers a certain blue robot is hers. Yet, preparation for the tournament consists of this strange rule: The two fighters must get acquainted with each other and become a strong team — within a week. Easier said than done...
1. Prologue

_**The lack of Mega Man centric stories in the Smash Bros. archive disappoints me, so I'm going to change that.**_

 ** _This won't be a long story. I'm mostly writing this to get some creative juices flowing, especially for another fanfiction project I'm having issues with. Hence, the reason why I chose Lucina as a main character. The plot for the other fanfic is so intricate that maybe writing something simpler for her could help me get back on track. This story is the perfect candidate._**

 ** _Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to write something on the Blue Bomber..._**

 ** _Let's see how this goes._**

 ** _Super Smash Bros. is owned by Nintendo, Mega Man is property of Capcom.  
_**

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _Two Days Prior_

* * *

She scurried herself to the Smash Mansion's courtyard, nothing else was on her mind but the destination. Lucina could not believe she was late to a very important tournament meeting.

The meeting for the first Smash Doubles Tournament in a very long time.

Despite team matches being common, doubles tournaments were becoming a rare occurrence. Most Smash tournaments focused on single matches, that or the Home-run Contests or Target Smash competitions. Thanks to the addition of the new Smash Run feature and the Fighting Mii Teams in Multi-Man Smash, Master Hand was eager to boast these features in the Smash World. As a God of Creation, he was willing to show off his craft work — much like an artist showed off a painting.

He had neglected doubles tournaments due to it, leaving Smashers in inquiry. While they enjoyed the new additions like Smash Run or were amused at fighting off Mii Teams, doubles contests were a tradition. The veteran Smashers were more concerned about it than the newcomers, as they loved double tournaments just as much as singles. More importantly, they desired to see the newcomers also partake and take thrill in the beauty of doubles.

It did not take long for Master Hand to hear the outcry, he decided to give in and conform. There was no harm in allowing for a doubles tournament to occur, it was past due.

However, there was a catch.

Lucina heard the voice of the Smash God as she bordered the courtyard. Oh, how could she allow her afternoon nap go for so long? Perhaps it was from the recent, arduous match that tired her out. Her opponent was no pushover, and she let her guard down. Regardless, the present was more prominent than the past, she found no excuse in her actions.

Once at the courtyard's entrance, Lucina quietly sneaked in with the crowd of other Smashers who signed up for the tournament. Since spacing for the tournament was limited, some were not able to write their names on the sign up list. There were arguments and fights that broke out between fighters over who received a spot, but the list was sealed. Lucina felt a sense of accomplishment for being one of the last to sign up, along with her fellow friend and The Avatar, Robin. She would not allow this opportunity to waste because of her tardy behavior.

As she blended in with the crowd, the Princess of Ylisse sneaked behind Robin. The tactician paid no attention to the surprise move as he focused on the words Master Hand said about the tournament. It wasn't until he felt a tap on his shoulder that he took notice. "Gah!"

 _"Shhh! It's me,"_ Lucina whispered, hoping to not draw attention.

Robin furrowed his eyebrows. "You're late."

Lucina made a light smile to cover her shameful act of tardiness. "I am aware, and I apologize. My nap took longer than it should, I pray I didn't miss much."

"You didn't. So far, Master Hand is apologizing to us for the long wait on a doubles tournament."

Lucina rose an eyebrow quizzically. "Oh?"

 _"And so concludes my speech,"_ Master Hand declared, shifting Lucina and Robin's attention to him. _"Again, I apologize for the wait. Now then, I'm sure you all want to know some general rules for doubles tournaments. Let us begin shall we?"_

The crowd of Smashers cheered and clapped in excitement, eager to hear the rules and get the tournament underway. Meanwhile, Lucina grinned on what she heard, feeling the enthusiasm.

Once the crowd calmed down, Master Hand returned to speak. _"Now, veterans you already know how doubles tournaments work but the newcomers might not. To put it simply, it's a competition on not just who is the strongest team, but who can create efficient, collaborate effort. Much like singles tournaments, there are plenty of doubles tournaments so if you and your teammate lose one, it's not that big of a deal."_

He continued on, pointing and waving his index finger. _"In a doubles tournaments, everything may vary. Whether items and trophies are allowed depend on the hosts. For the most part, they are turned off and you are given stocks instead of a score. If your partner is out and you still have two or three, you can share one to your fallen ally and revive them. This is called Share Stock._ _ _There can be a time limit for a match, or a fight until no more stocks are left. Stages for matches can either be in Omega form or regular. Time limits and stage types can depend based on rules the tournament's host implement. Finally_ , partners can either be chosen or assigned. For this tournament, you will be able to choose... at random."_

The Smash crowd gasped, choosing at random was not common. Generally, they were given free will to choose or assigned a partner by Master Hand, so they were shocked by such revelation. Suddenly, chatter arose within the crowd, causing the God to tap the floor and get them to quit.

 _"Ahem, I'm not finished yet Smashers."_

Voices faded away in the crowd after Master Hand cleared his voice, receiving their attention again. _"Moving on, yes... you will be able to choose a partner, but from this bowl of numbers you see here. You will pick out a small, folded paper from the bowl and it will contain a number. Find the fighter who has the same number as you and that fighter is your teammate. Any questions?"_

There was silence, leading the gloved hand to move on. _"Very well, and we have a **new** mandatory rule for this tournament. I'd like to thank Crazy Hand for such a ludicrous idea, but I like it so I implemented it. That way, this tournament will be more challenging than ever before."_

This made Lucina tense, musing on what the new rule was. She stiffened her posture, as Robin asked her if she had any idea. The fact that it was Crazy Hand who was behind this gave her worry. His Crazy Orders were enough for her concern.

 _"The new rule,"_ Master Hand announced, tensing her up more. _"Is that you and your partner will have only **one** week to prepare for this tournament, which is the upcoming week. And the week after is the tournament."  
_

The Smashers once again gasped in shock, even louder than before, leading to more chatter among the crowd. Both Robin and Lucina were stunned by the news that they could not fixate any words to say about it. Plenty of preparation time for tournaments were essential to wins, wouldn't one with little prep lead to a disaster? They could not fathom why such a rule was being enforced.

There was no doubt that Crazy Hand was truly the insane, left side of Master.

The chats increased in volume, some were outcries against the new rule. However, Master Hand stood by his decision and roared at the crowd to silence themselves. The courtyard was now quiet, leading Master to speak again.

 _"I stand by the rule and that is final,"_ he asserted, maintaining to the Smashers he was the host of the tournaments and can do as he wish. _"Now, please line up and choose a number from the bowl. Once you do, you are dismissed."_

The fighters obeyed the order and went in line, waiting for their turn to pick from the bowl. One by one did each went and dug in the bowl for a number.

 _"You have tonight and tomorrow to find your partner. Once that's done, both must sign up along with the number. If you don't, you will be disqualified from the tournament and will have to wait until the next,"_ said Master Hand as each fighter went through the bowl. _"Also, **NO** trading numbers. I don't care if you get paired up with someone you dislike and want to change, deal with it. This tournament is about adapting and team effort. However, all of you will be chosen at random, so there is a high chance you may be paired up with someone you **never** interacted with before. Please, be respectful and stick with the teammate you are assigned to. Combine your strengths and settle out any differences so that you and your partner can win. If needed, try to familiarize with your partner so you know their strengths and weaknesses — that way you two can come up with a strategy plan. Again, you have only ONE week to prepare, so plan wisely. Good luck and may the best team win."_

Robin's turn had arrived, he reached into the almost empty bowl and pulled out a piece a paper. He opened to inspect his number. "Huh." He walked away from the bowl, nudging to Lucina that it was free. "Your turn."

The princess made no hesitation to reach into the bowl and pick her number, once set she looked up at Master Hand. "Are you sure this will work, Sir?" she inquired.

 _"Ah, Lucina. I'll admit this hasn't been attempted before so I don't know how it will turn out. However, Crazy was nagging to me that he hadn't taken charge of things for a while. I suppose Crazy Orders isn't keeping him fulfilled. Regardless, this seems like a challenge, don't you think?"_

Lucina gave the God an uneasy look, alluding him to grumble. _"Just do your best."_

The princess walked off in unease, hoping things would turn out for the best. She might as well call it day, tomorrow would bring new events.

.

The next day was quite hectic for the Ylissean princess, she ran around the mansion and battlefields to locate her partner. She even hoped that they would appear in any of her matches and competitions she was assigned to for the day.

"Excuse me Princess Peach, but do you have this number?" Lucina asked to Mushroom Kingdom's princess as she approached her during a lunch break. She showed the small paper with the number seven written on it.

"Oh no, I have three!" Peach exclaimed, showing hers in return and disappointing Lucina. "I'm sorry."

Lucina smiled weakly, hiding her displeasure. "No, all is fine."

"I know how you feel, I have yet to find mine! Good luck!"

Prior to a Smash Run match, Lucina approached the legendary racer and bounty hunter, Captain Falcon. Perhaps he could be her teammate. "Do you have this number?" she inquired.

"Does this look like a seven to you?" Captain Falcon chuckled, pulling out his with the number five. Another blow to finding her partner, he was not the one.

"Oh! My apologies!" Lucina cried with slight embarrassment.

"Nah, it's cool. I understand — "

"Did I just see someone with a five?" asked a blond haired boy wielding a red sword. Shulk ran to the Captain with enthusiasm, holding out his number; hoping that he was correct.

"Yeah, do you have the same — well, looks like I hit the jackpot!"

Shulk's face lightened up with glee. "Alright! At last I found you!"

"Yes! We're going to be an awesome team!" The Captain gave the Monado wielder a high five, optimistic on their team that would consist of fists and a sword.

"Right, the future is ours to decide! I look forward to working with you, Captain!"

Such a happy union between the racer and the Master of Monado Arts made Lucina shy away. Not that she was envious, but she sighed in discontent that her teammate was not found yet. She began to feel anxious that they would not be found in due time.

* * *

"Are you alright?"

The rough but troubled voice rolled through her ears, Lucina looked up to see Samus' stern blue eyes staring down at her. She found the princess brooding within the mansion's garden. The bounty hunter had become acquaintances with the Ylissean princess, which eventually led to a friendship.

"Oh! Samus, I'm fine," lied the princess, amazed by her friend's abrupt appearance. "Thank you."

Samus narrowed her eyes. She sat next to the Ylissean, attentively watching her expression to see any facades. She was no fool. "Doesn't look like it."

"No, really I'm fine..." Lucina lied weakly, there was no escaping this one. Samus was observant.

"I assume you haven't found your partner for the upcoming doubles tournament."

Lucina's mouth felt agape at the obvious remark and shook her head in apprehension. "No..."

"Well, do you need help? I could aid you in finding your ally."

Lucina lifted her hands in protest at the bounty hunter and shook them. How could she allow this to happen? She felt more embarrassed on the incompetence in locating her teammate. "No, no! You don't have to go through such trouble..."

"It's fine, I still have some time before my next match," the bounty hunter replied, not willing to take a decline. "I'll help you out."

"Erm... thank you, I suppose. But don't you have to find your own partner — "

"I didn't sign up."

Lucina blinked, pondering the reason behind Samus' answer. "Why?"

"I was in another tournament, you know the recent one hundred Multi-Man one? The sign up took place during that," Samus explained. "A handful of the fighters missed out due to it."

"Oh."

"It doesn't matter," said Samus, rising from the bench. "It was worth it since I ended up winning. There are plenty of others I can sign up for. Listen, I'm going to help you out. So quit sulking, I'll let you know when I find them, alright?"

Hearing such words gave Lucina relief and comfort, she was glad this world had very kind and respectable fighters. "Thank you, Samus."

"Now if you can show me the number, it should be an easy find."

.

It was near sunset, the Princess of Ylisse and her friend walked down the mansion halls for dinner. Robin was wondering on whether Lucina had located her ally, so he set up a question.

"So, did find your partner?" he inquired, aspired to hear positive news.

"Unfortunately no," the princess huffed, cutting off some of Robin's positivity. The day was almost over and still no sign. "Naga help me if I don't."

"Hmm, did Samus get back to you?"

"No, not yet. I'm starting to lose hope..."

"Stay vigilant. I'm sure you will find that person soon, I just know it," Robin assured, trusting that Lucina would take his judgment. Although he was starting to feel worry himself, as he did not want disqualification knocking on Lucina's door.

The princess absorbed Robin's words to take in consideration. "I suppose — "

"Princess Lucina!"

The princess and tactician spurned around to locate the deep voice that called her name. It came from no other than the warrior Meta Knight, who flew to them. His voice was urgent, despite his mask concealing the expression of his mysterious face. He always managed to evoke emotion throughout his voice.

"Why if isn't Meta Knight," Robin greeted with a grin.

"Good Afternoon Robin and Lucina," He greeted in return, the flying star knight looked at Lucina. "I have some important news to deliver from Ms. Aran."

Lucina blinked in awe, could it be that her partner was finally found? She was eager to know. "What is it?"

"Due to time constraints and her upcoming match, Ms. Aran told me to deliver you this message. Here it is," Meta Knight stated, handing her a small folded paper. Lucina immediately took the paper and unfolded it to read the content. Her eyes widened as she and Robin read it.

 _Lucina,_

 _I found your partner. Head to the courtyard immediately, he is waiting for you there._

 _— Samus._

"Oh god!" she exclaimed in shock to Meta Knight after reading. "How long did you have this?!"

"For a while, but it doesn't matter! Now go!" Meta Knight commanded to the stupefied princess. "If you don't sign up again with your partner soon, you two will be disqualified!"

"Yes, go!" Robin urged, pushing Lucina to run toward the courtyard. "There's no time to waste!"

Lucina nodded fervently and ran. "Thank you!"

She rushed through the halls, passing through certain areas of the mansion. That included the dining area, lobby, game recreation, and even the swimming pool — but the courtyard was her target. While the princess was grateful toward Samus and relieved on the location of her partner, those emotions were not so strong as the anxiety rising. She had unpleasant thoughts of her partner not being there. Maybe he was waiting at the courtyard for a long time and had given up, she could not bear such thoughts.

"I will not falter!" she cried, pushing herself to run faster. If there was anything Lucina could not stand, it was failure. She already felt honor in joining the Smash World and participating in events with legendary fighters, missing one was unacceptable. If anything, she wanted to make herself feel useful and a good partner much like she was to the Shepherds back in the war against Grima. Finally, she pledged to make her father, Chrom proud — even if he wasn't present. Her adamant spirit would not die down, she would get her partner no matter what and have a shot in winning the tournament.

When she arrived at the courtyard, she saw the setting sun's light hit on an empty bench at the center. She huffed as she looked around her surroundings, nothing. Wind blew and birds were chirping their evening songs. Lucina slumped to the ground, sighing in sadness.

He wasn't there. It was too late, she had failed — or so she thought.

A gloved hand gripped the blue armor on her shoulder, startling her. Lucina looked at the one who touched her, innocent electrical blue eyes met with her inquisitive ones. Lucina inspected the person, he had a blue helmet and body armor, and matching blue gloves. He had the face of a boy, who released a light smile. She had seen this fighter on the battlefield but never up close in person. In fact, he looked different.

 _Wow, is he my teammate?  
_

"Are you my partner?" he asked sweetly.

Lucina snapped out of her trance and quickly dug into her pocket to find her paper, feeling antsy. "Oh! Samus told me she found someone that could be my partner... augh where is it... ah here it is! Is this your number?"

As she presented her number, the boy pulled out his — revealing confirmation. He smiled widely. "Seven."

Lucina's eyes widened in happiness and grinned in relief. "Oh, thank goodness! I have been trying to find you all day!"

The boy chuckled, also in relief. "Same here, I was getting worried. It wasn't until I got word from Samus that she saw someone with the same number as mine. She told me to wait here as she would get you."

"Yes, she sent me a message but here I am! Um... you are one of the newcomers, I presume?"

The boy nodded in response. "Yeah, so are you. You're Lucina? I'm Mega Man."

"Mega Man," Lucina repeated softly, she made a curtly bow to the robot. "I have seen you in certain competitions, so I know who you are. I apologize for coming so late..."

The Blue Bomber shook his head, appreciative of her apology. "No need Lucina, I understand. I'm just glad to have found you. This is my first doubles tournament so I'm really excited."

"Same here, I... look forward to working with you."

"Awesome, we're going to be a great team," Mega Man stated with elation. He seemed confident in his teammate. "You may wield a sword and I a gun and projectiles, but I think we could work it out. Our time is limited, but that's not a big deal, right?"

He transformed one of his hands into an arm cannon, willing to show Lucina the weapon he used in combat. "See?"

"Wow," Lucina said, marveling at the technology Mega Man had. Such advances were not present in Ylisse, so it was an incredible sight. "That's impressive."

"Yeah, this is one of my main weapons. I call it the Mega Buster."

However Lucina was too immersed in the weapon itself than Mega Man's words. "Hmm, what does this do..." She mused as she roamed her hand around his arm cannon, intrigued by its design.

"Ah, be careful!" Mega Man cried, feeling uneasy. He was not fond of someone inexperienced with advanced weaponry touching it, such careless gestures could lead to danger. "This cannon is — !"

However, his plea was too late. Lucina gripped his arm, shook it, and a charge emerged from the arm cannon, creating a blast. She immediately jumped as the blast shot a piece off of a Smash ball statue. She gasped in horror and Mega Man's eyes widened at the sight. Seeing the damage, he glared at the princess for not heeding to his warning.

She laughed uneasily at the irritated robot, realizing what she had done. "Oops, my mistake."

A long week was in store for the Princess of Ylisse and her new partner.

* * *

 ** _I know Prologues are usually short, but I couldn't help it. Also, I had fun writing this... let me know what you think. I'm also open for suggestions, ciao.  
_**


	2. Chapter 1

**_I appreciate the reviews given for the story so far! Thank you very much!_**

 ** _Now this chapter's kind of long since it's the first day, and it's not even covered entirely yet. I am not sure if the rest of the chapters will be just as long. We'll just wait and see, Happy Reading._**

* * *

 **1**

 _Day One – Morning to Midday_

* * *

Waking up early was an easy routine for Lucina. It was from the experiences she had back in her world, where it was plunged into great war. Chrom's Shepherds were always instructed to rise early for drills and exercises conducted by Ylisse's deputy, Frederick. It was either that or to enter a battle — possibly conducting war tactics. However, she was no longer in Ylisse — waking up early was not a requirement. Rarely did Smash events occur at dawn, and if they did it was either for special occasions with permission. Yet with the doubles tournament in a week, some Smash teams planned their training to start early.

Surprisingly, Lucina's team was not one of them. In fact, the only thing she and her partner did last night was sign up. Then, she told him they would commence their training later in the morning and called it a night. Despite that, she was set on winning this tournament with her mysterious new partner. The Princess of Ylisse was not ignorant on the Blue Bomber per se — she was aware of his existence, but simply as a new fighter seen in matches. Knowing Mega Man personally, was something Lucina lacked.

Perhaps this week would bring in surprises and interesting lore as she would work with Mega Man. Her mind believed it so, he probably did not know much about her either.

 _Today is the day we begin. I wonder if we will be able to pull it off... well, sitting around won't get myself anywhere,_ Lucina thought. She rose from her bed and stretched herself. Once done, the princess went to her wardrobe to pick out her outfit. When it was found, she quickly made her bed and spread her usual attire down. She brushed her hair to untangle it, placed a bathrobe on, and carried bathing accessories. She entered the bathroom to shower.

A few floors above Lucina's room, Mega Man was already awake. His processor had got out of sleep mode. Suited up, he induced himself to finalize the analysis of his teammate he started last night.

"97... 98... 99... and 100% complete. I'm good Dr. Light, I updated my database on Lucina," he communicated firmly to his father and creator through his helmet. The robot paged Dr. Light about the upcoming tournament he signed up for, his partner, and asked for assistance. Dr. Light, being the father figure he was, helped his robotic son on completing the analysis and research on the Ylissean princess for his Smash fighter database.

 _"Well done Mega Man! I'm sure that you and Ms. Lucina will make a fine team,"_ congratulated his father through speakers. _"I wish you good luck in this tournament, we will be cheering for you all the way. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to consult me."_

"Thanks Dr. Light. I may page you again later as my analysis of Lucina's movesets are currently estimates," stated Mega Man. "I have to see her in combat for more accurate results, but luckily I have a game plan ready for us."

 _"Very well, I'm sure you will get the information and update it. Again, we wish you luck in this tournament."_

 _"That's right! I believe in you Rock!"_ his sister, Roll called out from the background. _"May you and Princess Lucina win! To think my brother got into the universe's greatest fighting tournaments with other powerful warriors! You should be proud! I hope you introduce us to your partner sometime!"_

Mega Man chuckled at his sister's dignified compliments. "Thanks, I'll talk to you guys later. Take care!"

One click and the communication was shut off. The boy rose from seat near the desk he was working on; he approached his faithful robotic companion who awakened.

"Well Rush, today starts off our journey for the doubles tournament," he announced gently, petting his dog. Rush barked in happiness and rolled over for a rub.

Mega Man smiled, taking Rush's request. "Glad to hear you're excited boy. Now, I'm going to call the princess just to assure when we'll meet."

He walked off and turned on his helmet again. His father had equipped him with an internal phone so he could call anyone within the Smash World, as long as he had their numbers. Each room within the mansion had a number, and he knew Lucina's thanks to the directory. He dialed the number from the book and hoped for an answer. Even though last night she told him to meet at the courtyard again, he wanted a precise time.

No such luck, as Lucina was still in the shower; Mega Man hung up. _She must be sleeping,_ he mused. _I'll try again later._ He turned to Rush who whined in disappointment.

"It's alright boy. I'll call her again later," his master said, trying to lighten the mood. "There's nothing much I can do now, I could update the fighter database for other fighters — but I want to do it only for the ones _officially_ in the tournament. The list hasn't been put up yet so we have to wait... how about we go on a little morning stroll?"

.

Lucina adjusted her crown firmly, once it was in place she smiled at the mirror and put her gloves on. She was refreshed from the morning shower and was in her attire, ready to go.

 _Crown, cape, boots, outfit... check. And the Parallel Falchion in its sheath... check. I'm good to go._

Suddenly the phone in her room started ringing, the princess approached it and took hold of the device — searching for the correct button to push. _How does this thing work again?_ She asked herself, she was still getting accustomed to the technology here. Once the button was found, Lucina placed the phone near her ear. "Hello?"

 _"Goooood Morning, Lucina!"_ sung an active voice. _"Robin and I are having breakfast this morning at the mansion's cafe, I was wondering if you would like to join us. I'd like to introduce you guys to my partner! Also we can discuss about the doubles tournament or just hang out!"_

Lucina blinked when she identified the person speaking. It was the leader of Palutena's Army and upbeat angel, Pit. Lucina was impressed on the angel's friendly and outgoing personality, especially in such a foreign world that was not his home. He loved inviting Smashers for events, whether it was for lunch or a match. The Ylissean princess was one of the fighters, she had attended some on occasions and found them intriguing. However, the fact she was asked at a very crucial time may indicate a decline toward Pit's request. She needed to start prep with her teammate.

"I don't know Pit," Lucina answered uneasily, she heard a slight whine from the angel on her shaky reply. "While I appreciate your invitation, I have to meet up with my partner to start prep for the tournament. I said I would meet him in the morning."

 _"Aw come on!"_ Pit protested, urging Lucina to change her mind. _"That's too early! Who wants to train at this hour? The café is serving delicious stuff today, like red velvet pancakes! You can always meet up with your partner later, come and join us!"_

Lucina contemplated for a few moments, originally her plan was to eat quickly and meet with Mega Man; but at the same time it would not hurt to relax and hang out with friends for a bit. Pit was correct on the day being early, there was plenty of time. As long as she did not overstay her welcome, all would be fine. She had doubts Mega Man would even mind or be angry about it. He was very understanding on her trouble of finding him, so he could be just as compassionate on this.

"Alright. I'll join," she finally replied, and Pit squeaked with glee. "Do you want me to go to the café now?"

 _"Yeah sure! I'll meet you there! There are others coming so get ready for a large group at our table! See you then!"_

Lucina hung up the phone, somewhat eager to eat with others — until she noticed a missed call on the phone's caller ID. Her jaw dropped as she saw who it was.

"Oh no!" she cried, she rushed to find the directory within her bookshelf and looked for Mega Man's number. Lucina cursed herself for being so careless on missing his call, it must have been for their meeting. She dialed his number and watched for a response anxiously, her hands trembled.

"Please respond..."

No response, Lucina hung up her phone and sighed — a failure. "Crap." She lifted herself up and placed both the book and phone away. She wistfully left her room and locked the door, heading toward the café to cool her head a bit.

Little did she know, that the number led to Mega Man's room — not the Blue Bomber himself, who currently was out.

.

When Lucina stepped in the cafè, it was no surprise she viewed Pit waving at her to sit at the table he and Robin were at. She reached them and sat next to the tactician who greeted her.

"Good Morning," she greeted back with a sullen tone, still upset about the call.

"So, we got Lucina and Robin so far," Pit affirmed. "I know I invited Ness and Link to join with their partners. Finally, my partner should be here soon. In the meantime let's order!"

"I also invited my partner if that is not a problem," Robin added.

"Of course not! The more the merrier, we got plenty of room! Lucina, did you invite yours too?"

The princess snapped out of her brooding mood. "Oh... no I didn't."

"Aw, why not? Everyone else is coming in their teams!"

"My apologies, I didn't think you would invite everyone..."

The angel frowned. "Hey, I told you this was going to be large group! You should have invited him, Lucina."

"Pit let it be," cautioned Robin, he noticed Lucina sulking on Pit's scolding. He decided to end the discussion to avoid drama. "Maybe next time."

"Yeah. Sorry," Pit replied, scratching his head. "At least everyone else is coming, let's order."

As the three proceeded to order their meals, the other teams began to appear. Hyrule's hero Link came in with his partner which was Mushroom Kingdom's hero, Mario. Later entered the boy from Eagleland, Ness with the Radiant Hero, Ike as his teammate. Finally, Robin's partner sat next to him. His pink and squishy appearance led others to realize who it was.

"Your partner is Kirby?" Link inquired at the tactician.

"Correct," Robin replied while nodding. Kirby waved at the other Smashers with a grin and took a menu from display to order. Lucina looked at Robin's teammate with admiration, Kirby was such a sweetheart but a tough fighter. She recalled some times of engaging in team matches with him.

"Aww, you got such a cute partner!" Pit complimented. "You two make such a cool team!"

"Thank you Pit. Kirby, are you done ordering yet?" Robin asked sweetly to his partner. The pink warrior shook his head, still looking at the menu. As a big eater, it was hard for Kirby to decide from the diverse list of food.

"Looks like everyone's here," said Pit, taking count of the guests. "Except — "

"Well this is one large group," interrupted an avian ace pilot sternly, his boots clicked on each step he made on the floor's tiles. "Pit, you didn't tell me the group would be this big."

"Hey Falco! You finally showed up!" Pit cried in delight at the arrival of Star Fox's ace pilot. "I'm glad to see that you made it!"

Falco huffed at his teammate. "Let's just eat first so we can start on our training, angel boy." Pulling his seat, he sat at the end of the table; next to Mario who saluted him.

"Yeah sure, well I already ordered," The angel refuted, showing off his pancakes.

Falco sighed. "That's good."

"Hmm, so you're Pit's partner. You look tired," Mario said as he cut his eggs with his knife. He observed irritation coming from the pilot.

"I'm fine," Falco refuted, rubbing his temples. "Just annoyed that Master Hand gave us only ONE week to prep for this tournament. How the hell are we going to become competent teams in just _one_ week?! Please, tell me how that will work."

"That may be true Falco, but if you give it your all this week — you might be able to pull it off," Ike remarked, he turned to his ally. "I think Ness and I have the capability of fulfilling such a challenge, right?"

"Yeah, we just have to work together," Ness assured, taking a bite of his toast. "I'll do my best to fight alongside you, Ike."

Ike grinned softly. "That's the spirit."

"Well excuse me for not being so cheerful," Falco muttered at the Radiant Hero and his sappy speech.

"Oh come on Falco, we'll be fine! I know you're upset with that annoying rule, but with Lady Palutena's guidance and me at your side we will be unbeatable!" Pit guaranteed cheerfully at the avian pilot.

"I guess, at least we managed to _communicate_ with each other to arrange this."

Lucina wielded a sudden offense to that statement, this was just salt added to her emotional upset. It was bad enough she had assistance to locate her teammate, but now she couldn't even reach him. Already she sensed that the other teams were off to a good start, while hers was not. She let out a light groan in agitation, wanting the situation to improve.

.

He tried calling her again, no answer. Mega Man drew out an uneasy look, and Rush gazed at him with worry. The two recently finished their stroll and were back in his room. The robot hoped that by the next call he would reach Lucina, especially since time had passed, but no avail.

He laughed uneasily, trying to come up with answers as to why. "I guess she's not an early bird..."

Mega Man sighed as he sat on his bed, the princess told him in the morning they would meet. After all the trouble the two went to find each other, and the excitement they had on working together; delays were already done on their prep. Why wasn't she answering to his calls? Maybe she was actually disappointed that she got stuck with him as a partner? Was she avoiding him? Or was she upset over what happened last night when she made him blow up that Smash ball statue? Did something bad happen to her? So many questions flooded his mind.

Mega Man mentally smacked himself for thinking so poorly about Lucina. The horror! _No, think positive Rock. You must have faith in her, she will respond back eventually._

He looked at the time, it was passed nine. Mega Man wished for an answer soon, just anything would do.

* * *

Meanwhile at the café, the teams at Pit's table discussed about the tournament, their reactions to finding their partners; and ate. Lucina remained silent for she found no need to speak, she was too distressed with the situation at hand. She needed to find the Blue Bomber, believing she was letting him down. This was dragging on for too long, she dreaded the thought that Mega Man may have called her again and she wasn't there to pick up. Would he be angry once she would return those calls? Lucina silently regretted coming here — she could have stayed back, by now they would have met and started training.

She was snapped out of her depressing thoughts when Pit asked her a question, switching the group's focus on her. "So Lucina, who is your partner anyway?"

"That's right, I never got to ask you that," recalled Robin, sipping his coffee. "You just went to bed early, you found him correct?"

"Yes... I did," answered Lucina hesitantly. She was more interested in finishing in her meal and leave than answering questions.

"Who is he?" asked Falco, interested.

"A newcomer? A veteran?" asked Link softly.

Questions were being bombarded on the Ylissean princess, and Lucina was annoyed by it. Didn't they see she was not in the mood? Yet, she might as well answer, feeling slightly pitiful that she couldn't enjoy herself with Pit and the group. It wasn't their fault on the issues she was having, it was her own decisions. And she got to meet other teams, she took a deep breath to reveal the answer.

"It's Mega Man."

There was a silence that swept within the group, the only sound heard was Pit dropping his fork. Everyone's eyes widened and mouths were agape — making Lucina inquisitive about it. "Is something wrong?"

Out of nowhere, Lucina saw Pit rise from his seat. He gripped onto her shoulders — startling her. His eyes shined with surprise and emotion.

"YOUR PARTNER IS MEGA MAN?!" he yelled in shock.

"Pit, not so loud!" Lucina scolded, not understanding Pit's amazement. "What's gotten into you?!"

"Do you not realize how lucky you are?!" the angel cried drastically at the princess, he shook Lucina which made her dizzy. "That guy is AMAZING!" He started to gush on the blue metal hero, reminiscing on his good deeds and combat. "I am so envious of you right now!"

Mario chuckled at the funny scene and added a remark. "You are paired up with one of the universe's greatest heroes and a very good friend of mine. That is an honor, Lucina. You should be proud." The rest of the group nodded in accordance.

Lucina was dumbfounded on what she had heard, she could not comprehend the hype over her teammate who was a newcomer. "Is he famous?"

"Duh, he's Mega Man!" Pit cried. "Everybody knows him! He saved his world a few times and is regarded as a hero!"

"He was also one of the most requested fighters us Smashers wanted to see on the battlefield," revealed Link to Lucina. "We have been trying to get him to join Smash for _years_. When we heard word that he would finally join, we just had to go and see it ourselves."

Mario laughed, reminiscing the first time he saw Mega Man in years. "I will never forget that night, seeing him beneath the moonlight at the cliff. Then the way he threw those metal blades, he looked so adamant and eager for battle. The boy was so grateful for the invitation, he said he felt more... _valuable_ again."

 _More valuable?_ Lucina thought, wondering on what that meant.

"Yeah, it was a wise decision for Master Hand to let him in. He deserved it," Ike commented, with Ness nodding in approval.

"I concur," Robin agreed. "Mega Man is such a unique fighter, with a kind heart. Lucina, with him at your side, you two can become a fierce match."

Such positive talk about her teammate, and Lucina was captivated by it. She was not aware that Mega Man was so famous, it made her feel special and grateful that he was her teammate. It also gave her more respect for him, he must be a very important figure.

Yet at the same time, she was more disgusted with herself for not answering his call! Lucina was ashamed of her reckless behavior displayed on a prominent fighter, she had to find him and get their training started. The princess stood up, telling the group that she was leaving. She walked out with her remaining food, determined to get her partner. Pit called out for her but Lucina didn't respond, nor did she look back.

 _That's it, no more sulking. I must prove to him that I'm a competent teammate,_ Lucina thought, confident in finding him. _Mega Man, I won't let you down anymore!_

As she left out of the café, Pit sighed.

"Just when I wanted to ask if she could dine with us tonight and bring Mega Man. Oh well, good luck Lucina."

The Princess of Ylisse sprinted back to her room, she made no hesitation to unlock her door and get the phone to dial for her partner. She even ignored missed calls as she was eager to find him.

 _I won't fail again,_ she thought, vigorously dialing his number and placed the phone near her ear.

 _Please pick up..._

 _"Hello?"_

The call was answered, Lucina's eyes widened with relief and smiled from hearing her partner's voice. "Hello, Mega Man? It's me."

From the other side of the line, Mega Man's face lightened in happiness. His teammate did get back to him after all, and she was alright. "Oh hey Lucina! I've been trying to get a hold of you for a while, I was so worried! I'm so glad you finally called back!"

 _"Yes I know. I've tried getting a hold of you earlier, but you didn't respond when I called so I went to eat. Sorry it took so long."_

"Oh you called before? Drat, I must been out with Rush when that happened. The number only reaches the phone here. Well, anyway I think we should get started with prep. It's long overdue, don't you think?"

Lucina laughed lightly at his remarks. _"Yes I do, let's meet at the courtyard right now. May I bring my food though? I didn't get to finish it."_

"Sure, whatever works for you. I'll see you then!"

 _"Alright, see you soon Mega Man."_

Once the two ended their call, Mega Man immediately transported himself to the courtyard — the time had finally come. He was ready to initiate their team prep.

.

Lucina walked to the courtyard, munching away her food to her heart's content. She felt better, at least she and Mega Man would begin their training soon. A slight rough start, but it was leading to progress. As she went in the courtyard with her food consumed, she viewed her partner sitting on the bench; waving for her to come and join him.

"Over here!" he called out. The princess obeyed the order and sat next to the robot who smiled at her.

"Good Day Mega Man," she greeted warmly.

"Good Morning Princess," greeted the Blue Bomber in return. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you. How about you?"

"Pretty good. Alright, now before we begin... mind if I get a quick scan of you, Princess?"

Lucina blinked, a scan of her? "I guess not..."

She then saw Mega Man stand in front of her, he tapped on his helmet for a scan. His eyes glowed as he processed her into his database, a small light shined upon the princess. It raced back and forth on her, giving Lucina a puzzled look.

"Analyzing... just making sure... everything matches my fighter database on you," Mega Man explained. A few more scans and he was finished, the robot concluded his scan detected no problems and he shut it off. "We're off to a good start Lucina."

The princess looked at her partner dumbfounded, they were technological advances she could not comprehend; especially from the blue hero.

Mega Man chuckled at Lucina's puzzled face. "It's all part of the game plan."

"Is it?"

"Yep."

"I see, but we should at least get to know each other a bit before — "

"Not a problem," interrupted Mega Man confidently, tapping one of his gloves to reveal his fighter database. This alarmed Lucina, wondering what content he had of her.

"Now let's pull you up... I already have a good amount of info on who you are," Mega Man said, using his finger to scroll down his holographic fighter manual. "Let's see... Princess Lucina of Ylisse. Daughter of Exalt Chrom, descendant of the Hero King Marth. Comes from a troubled future of Ylissean ruin; and goes back into the past disguised as Marth to prevent that troubled fate done by the hands of Grima. Receives help from the goddess Naga to return back and participates in the war. She fights alongside Chrom and the Avatar, who is Robin. Is all of that information correct?"

There was no response, it was such a correct — no _impeccable_ analysis on the princess' personal details that Lucina herself could not emit a word. She was in a state of shock, she rarely interacted with Mega Man until now, how could he had harnessed such data?!

Instead, she turned the tables with a question of her own. "How do you — "

The Blue Bomber smiled, revealing his secret. "Research, lots of research. I have data on all the fighters thanks to my dad. I recently updated yours, even your stats, see?"

As he pulled them up, Lucina could not fathom how prepared her partner was. Meanwhile, she had nothing! Then again, based on his appearance and what she knew about him, Lucina realized it was typical Mega Man had technological tools that helped give an insight of her. He was such a complex fighter, and the knowledge Mega Man had reminded her of someone from home.

"Forgive me, but are you the technologically advanced version of Laurent?" she inquired.

The blue metal hero looked at his teammate with confusion. "Who's Laurent?"

"Never mind... but to answer your question... yes, all of that is correct. You really did your research, I'm impressed by such data... you have of me."

Mega Man observed the slight unease from the princess, leading him to stop. He sensed that showing his technological feats were overwhelming her a bit. "Oh, do I seem a little pretentious to you? I'm sorry."

Lucina was astounded by his apology, prompting her to dispute it. "Don't apologize. It's alright, Mega Man."

Mega Man frowned, he didn't feel that simple reply cut it. "No, I am amplifying my feats more than I should. I know you don't come from a technologically advanced civilization as I do, so I will try to simplify things if you'd like."

"Mega Man — "

"As my partner, you should be treated with the utmost respect. So let's start new."

"You really don't have to downgrade yourself for my sake," Lucina disputed, she grinned lightly for reassurance. "I'll be fine, it will take a while for me to get used to your... machinery but I can handle it. We're both different after all, part of teamwork is for us to adapt each other."

The blue robot grinned in return, pleased with her response. "I like the way you think, Lucina."

"Now then, what other features do you wish to show me? Anything that could help our prep?"

"Oh, well about your stats in my database... they're only estimates I picked up the last time I saw you in combat. I need a more accurate reading so I can determine your strengths and weaknesses. That way I can combine our stats and formulate some possible strategies."

"As in you wish to see me in a sample battle?"

"Pretty much. Here's what I have of you so far," the robot alluded the princess to see her stat info. "Based on everything, it is evident that your moves are identical to Prince Marth's play style. One major difference though is that your sword's tip doesn't do as much damage as Marth's, but you are a lot more balanced than he is."

Lucina nodded lightly. "Well, I am a descendant of the Hero King so it shouldn't be a revelation that we are similar. Also, the Parallel Falchion is a lot more stronger as a whole than its tip."

"Right. As a whole the your Falchion is more viable, compared to Marth's Falchion which uses the tip for damage," Mega Man agreed, then added more info as he read through her profile. "You also have a counter move, that could definitely be useful. You might be able to use it for sticky situations, like saving me from a knockback if I am at high percentage. And you know if you are at a higher percentage, you are more likely to be launched. If you can use that counter at the correct time, you can do some good damage and I can recover. Try not to use it too much though, otherwise our opponents will catch on to what we're up to."

"Alright," said Lucina, taking in Mega Man's advice.

"That shield breaker you have is also good, Lucina. If you hit a shielded fighter with it and their shield breaks, I can come in and attack them in their vulnerable state. It's even feasible that I can launch them out if they are at high percentage."

"That sounds like a good plan."

Mega Man nodded, satisfied on some progress made between the two. "We got some team combos already."

The princess smiled in accordance. "Right."

The robot turned off his database, changing the topic. "Moving on, I think it's time to get physical. I would like to observe you in a battlefield so I can get a more accurate analysis on your fighting style."

The Princess of Ylisse nodded in approval. "Of course, how do you want it done?"

"Heh, I know how. Come with me."

Mega Man pulled Lucina close to him, a blue light surrounded them as he gripped her tightly by the waist. The princess' face flushed in surprise.

"What are you doing?" she inquired in a flustered tone. Was this another one of his technological feats? Lucina felt a little nervous by the light, she lightly gasped as she saw herself fading away.

The fighting robot smirked as he started to teleport themselves. "Just hang on Princess, I know what I'm doing. It's time to get serious, we're going to visit an old friend of mine. A little warning though, he can be pretty nasty."

One flash and the two were gone, and the princess wondered what was in store for her.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Before you begin to read, I just want to say that I am not a pro or competitive Smash player by any means. The closest I have played 'competitively' was at my college's Brawl tournament the past year. I mostly like to play it as a pastime and with friends, (although I get a kick on playing For Glory, 1 v. 1 specifically).**_

 _ **I do put some research when it comes to a character's movesets and strategies (sometimes my own input) but don't expect the battle scenes for this story top notch and too technical. I prefer to add some emotion when writing battles, but that doesn't mean they will be unrealistic either. I try to keep it as close to the characters and setting as possible, and with so many different analyses and guides on characters I have seen or read; it's hard to choose what's best. It's also the fact that Smash 4's metagame is still in development so things are subject to change. In short, I do what I can. Besides that, I hope you enjoy reading the rest of Day One. Thank you.**_

* * *

 **2**

 _Day One – Midday to Evening_

* * *

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _"Just hang on Princess, I know what I'm doing. It's time to get serious, we're going to visit an old friend of mine. A little warning though, he can be pretty nasty."_

Recalling those sentences made the Princess of Ylisse tense while she was transported by the Blue Bomber to someplace else. Lucina knew it was for their training, but the transportation itself was slightly uncomfortable. It was nothing like the travel back in time to save her father and Ylisse. This teleportation was more rapid and rigid, a completely different atmosphere. The blue light had moved Lucina and her partner to the new area, their feet landed on a stage's floor. Mega Man released the princess gently, who was a little queasy from the trip.

"Sorry about that! Usually humans don't get any side effects when I teleport them," Mega Man mentioned uneasily, taking note of Lucina's groggy facial features. "But I guess you couldn't handle it well..."

He moved his eyes to his helmet, having a quizzical expression. "Unless my teleportation ability is faulty..."

Lucina began to recover her composure, signaling Mega Man she would be fine. "I'm alright." As she regained alertness, she looked at her surroundings. "Where are we?"

Mega Man smiled at the simple question. "Take a guess."

The princess inspected the area, noticing the large green platform beneath her boots, rails, and a mechanical castle in the background. The _W_ and skull embedded on it led to a conclusion. "Isn't this... the Wily Castle stage?" she asked, reminiscing on a couple of battles she had on here before.

"That's right," Mega Man confirmed. "Do you know which world it's from?"

Her companion pointed at himself, Lucina blinked. "It's yours, right?"

"Yeah, you got it! We're on my turf — well... sort of. It's more on the turf of my arch nemesis... but you get the picture."

"I see, why are we here?" inquired Lucina. There was the thought that since the stage was based off Mega Man's world, it would be no doubt he would choose it at some point for their training. She wanted to make sure so she imposed the question.

"I managed to snag the place to ourselves before anyone else," Mega Man replied. "Here is where we will do some of our training for today and where I will analyze you. It's been modified slightly to correspond to our training, but not much. Unfortunately, we don't have much time because other teams have scheduled times to use it. So, better start."

The princess nodded at Mega Man's explanation. "Alright, how shall we get started?"

"You wanna know? That's easy, draw your sword."

"What?"

"You heard me," Mega Man commanded, he moved his eyes to the sword on Lucina's sheath. "I'd like to see you use that Parallel Falchion in action."

"Are you asking for me to fight you?" Lucina suspected, Mega Man's sudden request perplexed her.

"Just for the time being, plus it's a chance to see how you do up close. It's the first step I have for our training, think of it as a warm up. Are you alright with that, Princess? Or do you want to change things?"

Lucina wasn't hesitant to listen, she was interested in where this was going. Whatever Mega Man had in store, she was willing to take — as long the two were involved and it sufficed their training together. "Very well," she said firmly, complying with Mega Man's command and drawing out her trusted sword. "Do you want me to go easy?"

The blue robot prepared himself for combat. "That's up to you, but I don't mind getting rough. Whatever makes you comfortable."

 _He has some tricks up his sleeve,_ Lucina thought to herself, alluding to suspicion. While this was just practice, it seemed that he was beckoning her to fight him. _I shall uncover them. Father, I hope your teachings on using this blade will aid me here._

"I hereby take the challenge," she spoke strongly.

"Alright, let's do this!" Mega Man cried with conviction, entering in his fighting stance.

And with those words stated, the battle between the blue metal hero and Ylissean warrior had begun.

 _ **"Three... Two... One... GO!"**_

 _For Father and all of Ylisse, I will not lose!_ Lucina cried in her thoughts. She dashed toward her opponent, her sword firmly gripped for combat. She was ready to swing her blade at him, ambitious for the first strike.

 _So she's going straight for an attack,_ Mega Man thought, attentively focusing his eyes on the hankering princess. _Alright Lucina, let's see if you can handle this._ The robot released a metal blade from his hands and placed it on the platform, leading Lucina to slow herself a bit.

 _That blade, if I go toward him he might throw it!_ she thought in alarm. _Maybe if I attack from up or can get behind..._

As she was near toward the robot, she jumped up to perform her neutral aerial attack. By doing this, she can bring her sword to slash twice close and back. Lucina believed that this attack was good to use defensively and offensively, if she made the first hit; Mega Man would be swept away from his blade and she would snatch it. From there, she would apply her second attack on her opponent, and throw the metal blade at him for extra damage. Alas, Lucina was ignorant on that Mega Man had picked up the metal blade when she jumped; initiating a distraction of his own by throwing the metal blade in the air. There was a clanging sound when blade collided with the Falchion, affecting Lucina's use of her sword — stunning and hurting her.

 _What?!_

She was not prepared for the next move, Mega Man jumped up to meet her and quickly summoned his flame sword to attack, burning her in the process. The princess yelped from pain of the flames scorching through her body and was flung down onto the platform. Smoke arose from Lucina's slightly torn clothing, her armor managed to protect her from major burns. However, she had endured some hits and it increased her damage percentage from zero to over ten. She winced from pain and rose up to face her partner. "Ngh!"

Mega Man smirked, grateful that his plan worked. _Of course you would try to attack me from above, Princess. Luckily my metal blade can be thrown in all directions._

"You have to try a little harder than that, Lucina!" he called out, riling up his ally. "Not sure if you knew this, but the metal blade can be thrown anywhere!"

He then remembered the way she sprinted toward him prior to his tricks, inducing himself to caution. _Her speed is impressive,_ he thought warily. _She could have a slight advantage over me in that department, I might have to be careful._

Lucina shot a glare at her partner. The glare alone was enough to provide that she was envious Mega Man conducted the first hit. _His projectiles... I already sense nuisances. However, if I can over come them he should be easy to take down. He better not be a campy opponent..._

She proceeded to run again with her sword skidding across the platform, this time more determined and attentive to any projectiles that may come her way.

In alert of her, Mega Man unleashed his Mega Buster, discharging a crash bomb to disturb Lucina's movements. The swordswoman was bewildered by the small bomb implanted on her chest, but she did not stop. Instead she unleashed a swipe of her sword against her partner, and Mega Man swiftly dodged the slash imposed on him.

 _Woah!_

 _I have to get this thing off me before it explodes!_ Lucina thought, adamant in ridding the bomb off her. She pursued to keep Mega Man at a close distance so she can transplant the crash bomb to him, shielding herself a few times to avoid damage. As she did, the Blue Bomber attempted to unleash shots from his Mega Buster to drift her away; but was countered by the Falchion when he released a shot — knocking him far. Yet by performing that counter, Lucina was vulnerable to activate a shield, and the bomb erupted on her chest — hurting her.

Mega Man slid across the stage, avoiding collision to the ground. He let his knuckle hit the floor and stopped.

 _That counter, it's fantastic!_ he thought in amazement, regaining his momentum. _The way the Parallel Falchion just protects her as a whole and then she unleashes the attack... it's simple but efficient. She even got the timing of it right, I'm enjoying this._

Meanwhile, the Ylissean princess aimed her blade at her opponent confidently, her mind ignoring the pain. She was proud of inflicting some damage at her foe. "You were saying about trying harder?" she mocked at Mega Man, returning back to his previous comments. Her eyes slightly narrowed.

Mega Man chuckled at her gesture. "Heh... not bad, Princess. You have some nice feats, but we're just getting started."

A sudden siren was heard throughout the stage, startling the princess and wondering where it came from. Lucina rapidly moved her eyes at Wily Castle and gasped as she saw yellow pieces shooting up from it.

Mega Man smiled lightly, welcoming the presence. _Here it comes._

Lucina immediately moved away from the area. The yellow pieces landed onto the stage platform, and much like puzzle pieces that formed into one — a giant robot spawned out of it.

"What — what is that?!" she cried in disbelief, disturbed by the appearance of the giant.

"That's the Yellow Devil," Mega Man replied coolly. "An old foe of mine. Guess Master Hand requested Dr. Wily to bring back the thing for the stage even though I've defeated him before... brings back memories."

Lucina was puzzled by such disclosure. "You have fought this monster before?"

"Yes, it can be quite the challenge and is this stage's hazard. Now, your task is to defeat it while I observe you."

Lucina's mouth was agape from she had heard. "What?! Is this part of the training? Is this how you plan to do your analysis on me?"

"I did say our battle would be a warm up for the real deal, correct?" Mega Man reminded at Lucina. "And here it is. Now go out there and slay it. I'll be watching from a far and analyzing what techniques you use to defeat Yellow Devil."

The Princess of Ylisse was speechless. This young machine was ordering her, a warrior, to defeat one of his enemies while he would sit and watch?! Slight irritation rose within her, he was taking charge of their prep and Lucina took the burden of their training. She personally preferred the warm up instead, at least her partner had some sort of participation in it. Wouldn't it be better if they worked as the team they are to defeat this enemy instead?

At the same time she recalled that this was being done for the sake of analysis. Mega Man would use her data to help think of some possible combos and strategies for them to merge into a powerful team. The princess scolded herself for thinking so hastily with anger.

"Alright. I'll do it," she finally spoke, stepping toward the Yellow Devil.

Mega Man nodded in response, stepping back and watching what Lucina would do. "Good luck."

The princess felt slightly nervous, her trembling hands holding her sword while cold sweat broke out from her face. She hadn't encountered something so... strange. Not since Grima or the risen back in the Ylissean war, but this Yellow Devil creeped her out with its abnormal appearance and its single red eye shooting a menacing glare. It vigorously clenched its fists, at least Grima looked more appealing to the eye.

Her partner reviewed the apprehension coming from Lucina. _She looks tense,_ he mused. _Just like I was when I first saw the Yellow Devil. I wonder if she was like that when she met her enemy. Now that I think about it... we have something in common... I wonder what would happen if I were to face Grima._

Lucina carefully entered into her fighting position, her hands still trembled but she forced them to grip her sword properly. _May all go well._

She rushed at the Yellow Devil, chucking the Falchion at it mercilessly, inflicting damage. Then jumped and used an up aerial attack against it. The swordswoman continued to slash her sword in different directions at the mechanical monster, while evading the lasers shot out from the Yellow Devil's eye.

Mega Man quietly observed her movements, absorbing Lucina's play style. He started to calculate possible damage percentages by her attacks alone. One attack in particular, the _Dancing Blade_ caught his attention. Composed of variations of slashes, he was quite intrigued by the swordplay. He viewed that Lucina was able to change direction of each swipe she made with the sword so quickly, and each input she did reminded him more and more of the Hero King Marth.

 _She attacks quite rapidly and efficiently, they look pretty light too, but fast. At least compared to other sword users such as Ike or Shulk in which their attacks are slow, but powerful. Marth was truly a major influence in her play style, must run in the family._

The sound of rumbling rapidly protruded through Mega Man's ears. He hastily left his position as the Yellow Devil began to split into sections, move across the stage and reform.

"Watch out!" he called out to Lucina. "When it is split into pieces they can hit you!"

Lucina took heed of Mega Man's warning and jumped away from the parts. The Yellow Devil was whole again when the sections formed into it on the other side of the platform. Seeing it there, Lucina ran down and jumped on a small floating platform to attack the monster from behind.

 _If I attack here, it can't touch me since its beams hit from the eye. It will not stop me!_

Her teammate slightly frowned at her strategy. Not only couldn't Mega Man see her unleash her moves well, but he didn't find the tactics completely useful.

He stuck to his belief once the platform Lucina was on started to rise away from her target. "Oh no!" she cried in fear, not willing to succumb to a loss. She hopped away from it and clung herself onto the larger platform for support. Mega Man sighed at the setback while the princess lifted herself back on the green stage.

"I must defeat this thing," Lucina muttered. She was getting a little tired and her damage meter increased to a higher percentage. She hoped that the Yellow Devil was almost at the end of its life.

The yellow robot repeated the process of breaking apart and heading to the other side, annoying the princess. Mega Man ran toward Lucina, believing that he should give her some essential information.

"Princess! You have to _forwardly_ attack him," he advised instantly. "You shouldn't hit him from behind a lot, especially since his weak spot is at the front."

"What?" Lucina asked in surprise at Mega Man's guidance.

"Yeah, see the — AH!"

The robot's advice was interrupted as he was hit by a moving projectile of the Yellow Devil, Lucina called out his name worriedly when Mega Man fell to the floor.

"I'm fine..." he mumbled, urging Lucina to move on. "Look, go and finish him off, find his weak spot. He's almost done for... you'll see what I mean..."

Lucina quickly obeyed and faced the Yellow Devil, clutching her sword. _His weak spot... ah!_

She avoided a red blast from the devil, and looked for the source. She lightly gasped, it was found. _Of course!_ The swordswoman prepared for one final dash, charging her Parallel Falchion to thrust it onto the eye, and destroy the hazard once and for all.

"I say when it ends!" she cried at the Yellow Devil, fixated in defeating the monster.

Unfortunately, the fate of the match was changed when another blast knocked the sword out of Lucina's hands, stunning her movements. Her eyes widened as the Falchion flew out of her reach and out of the stage. The blue warrior was separated from her prized weapon, making her invulnerable and unable to finish the job.

 _No!_

"Rush! Retrieve the Parallel Falchion!"

Mega Man summoned his companion and the mechanical dog obeyed the command. Rush transformed into a jet, flying down to get the Falchion that had almost disappeared into the depths of the Wily stage. He caught it with his mouth and flew back up to return the regalia sword to its owner.

"Th — Thank you," Lucina said bashfully, receiving back the sword.

"Sorry Lucina," Mega Man chimed in as he passed her to reach the Yellow Devil. He decided to change his plans by intervening, if not the Yellow Devil would return back to Wily's castle. Also, he sensed the devil was weakened at this point. "But I got to..."

 _So long, Yellow Devil._

He leaped toward the eye of the monster, his glaring blue eyes met with the lone red eye of the devil. From there he blinded the yellow robot by slashing across the eye with his slash claw, ending its life.

"...do this!"

The giant robot started to erupt, and the Blue Bomber pushed his partner away from the bursting hazard to avoid anymore damage. "Get down!"

Once the yellow robot exploded and the hazard was over, Mega Man lifted Lucina's cape up which protected them from the explosion. He checked to see if everything was clear and smiled in relief.

"We did it," he declared proudly at the princess. "I managed to learn a lot from observing you in combat, and gathered some analysis. You are pretty quick and versatile. Your reflexes aren't that bad either since you managed to avoid most of the Yellow Devil's attacks, except for the last one. Regardless, good job overall."

Despite the compliments, Mega Man could view the solemn expression of his teammate's face. "What's wrong?"

Lucina was disappointed, how could she allow her sword to slip from her grasp? She almost defeated that dreadful thing and could not perform the final action. She criticized herself for her errors.

"I failed to defeat it," she mumbled sadly to her partner. "How despicable."

Mega Man placed his hand on the shoulder of his upset teammate, willing to alleviate Lucina's troubles. "Hey, you did good for the most part. Don't let a simple error infringe on our prep, use it to improve Princess. It's alright, we can try and fight him again later. Most of it was for the sake of analysis anyway. Remember, we have an entire week ahead of us, we're only getting started."

Lucina looked up at Mega Man who grinned. The smile alone proved that he had confidence in her and the belief that they would be a good team before the tournament. It was so innocent and it slightly warmed the princess' heart in seeing such prominent fighter smile. Now, feeling relieved and more determined to get better, she smiled lightly. "You have my gratitude."

"It's what teammates do Lucina. You look a little tired, how about we take a break?"

.

A cool, gentle breeze swept through the fields of Acorn Plains. The blue duo sat on the grass while they set up their lunch, admiring the blue skies and sun shining upon them. To them, this was a perfect spot for their break.

Lucina imposed a question to her ally. "Do you think Master Hand will mind if we are using the omega stage for our late lunch?"

"I doubt it, this stage is vacant for now. Who says stages can't be used for other purposes besides fighting? Besides, I really like the view here," Mega Man replied, admiring the tranquility.

"I suppose," Lucina mumbled, taking a bite of her lunch.

Her robot ally took off his helmet to cool himself, exposing Lucina to what he looked without it. He inhaled the air pleasantly. "This feels good."

Lucina's eyes were awestruck at her partner without his helmet. _He's so young..._

Mega Man pulled out an E tank he stored at an earlier time in case he needed to replenish himself. He lifted the top to open and took a sip. His partner viewed the drink he was sipping on, curious on what it was. "What is that drink made of? I have never seen it before."

The blue robot ended his drinking and placed the can down. "Oh, I don't think you want to drink this..."

"Why?"

"It's not for humans per se... uh, Lucina what are you doing?"

The princess took hold of the Energy can, examining it thoroughly to figure out its contents. Mega Man protested in response. "Ah, you really — "

She decided to smell it for its flavor, and immediately backed away in disgust. "Oh god!" The sickened warrior placed the can back down, regretting the decision to investigate it in the first place.

Mega Man laughed uneasily, a sweat drop ran down his head. "Told you, it isn't exactly the most appealing smell to humans."

"To humans?" Lucina asked in disbelief. "But... aren't you a human yourself?"

There was silence, the dead quiet between the two led to an awkward moment. Lucina could not understand why, all she asked was a simple question. Unless...

Mega Man blankly stared at her partner, giving Lucina the red flag something was wrong. The princess asked for a response, which brought Mega Man to burst out laughing. From there Lucina grew more dumbfounded by the scene, what was so funny? Was it the way she asked her question, her wording? She wanted to comprehend, and yearned for an answer.

The Blue Bomber ceased his laughing to clarify things. He wiped a slight tear. "You didn't know? I'm not human, Princess."

Lucina's eyes widened at the stunning revelation, trying to process the truth. "You're... not human?"

"Nope, I'm a robot."

"A robot?! But, you look exactly like a human!"

"True, my design is similar to that of a young man. However, I'm just a machine... I don't have all the functions of a human. I thought you figured it out by now."

Nothing could hide the fact that Lucina was completely dismayed and embarrassed at the outrageous discovery. She perceived her partner as a little strange — but to think he wasn't a human didn't even cross her mind. _I always thought that this fighter was human... with armor. Like Samus..._ she thought. _He's a machine, my partner is a machine..._

Feeling ashamed in realizing this at the very moment, Lucina slightly hung her head down. _How could I..._

"Princess?" Mega Man asked worriedly, reaching a hand toward her for attention. He was not liking Lucina in such a frozen state. _I hope this doesn't interfere with our partnership..._

The blue haired warrior was out of her trance, her senses indicating the appearance of Mega Man's gloved hand near her shoulder. "Sorry."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm... just shocked," Lucina admitted to her partner timidly. "Forgive me for my ignorance, I thought you were human."

"My appearance and behavior can trick others into thinking I'm one, but again I'm a robot," Mega Man interjected, he twitched his lips up awkwardly... trying to relax the tension. "My design is pretty unique compared to others, but pretty cool right? You got an android as your first partner for a tournament."

Perhaps it shouldn't had been such a total surprise, it was common knowledge that the fighters of Smash were diverse. Ranging from humans to Pokémon, animals, and even robots, Lucina acknowledged such fact. Even so, she was impressed that Mega Man's appearance and behavior was so human like. As the day was passing, she was learning more and more about her partner, and even if they were surprises; they were so intriguing. Mega Man had become a fighter of fascination, and she liked it. The princess took with great honor assigned to this striking Smasher as her partner.

The princess let out a nod, conveying to Mega Man that she was fine with it. "I suppose so. Your creator must be a genius to have made someone like you. I've never seen a machine so... _alive_."

The blue robot lightly blushed at the compliment, shying away from the attention on him. "Aw shucks, I thought you would get freaked out by me or something. I feel pretty flattered to hear that Princess. Thanks."

Lucina shook her head and grinned. "No, Mega Man. I hope to learn more about you as we go through the week."

"You probably will, hehe. Again, thanks."

"Moving on, so is what you're drinking... some sort of energizer for you?" Lucina inquired, munching on her food.

"Yeah. It's called an E tank," Mega Man explained, he grabbed the can. "Energy tank, or can. It helps me regain my health back, and refuels energy. Since I'm not human, I can't really eat the food you guys can. So this is equivalent of a meal for me."

"I see."

"Back when I had to stop my enemy Dr. Wily and the robot masters under his control, I would drink these once in a while. There are also different types of can variations for different purposes."

"Hmm, this is somewhat similar to healing staves back in my world," Lucina said. "Within the Ylissean Army there were healers with different types of staves. Some that would heal one unit, or many from a distance. Some healers would use combat even if they had a healing staff, like magic."

Mega Man rose an eyebrow, eager to hear more. His interest piqued. "Really? That's awesome. Could... you tell me more about them?"

Lucina chuckled, finishing her meal. "As much as I would like to, shouldn't we be training first?"

The Blue Bomber's excited face faded at that reply. "Ah right, we should get back to that. Sorry."

* * *

"And finally this is leaf shield," Mega Man announced, performing his down special move and aiming it at the sandbag in the training room. Lucina observed Mega Man releasing the moving shield, and the leaves cut the sandbag. The two resumed their training in a white platform with only the sandbag as its support. For the past hour or two, the Blue Bomber was showing the princess his moveset and when he used them.

"Believe it or not, I have seen fighters underestimate this attack," he lectured, while pulling out another leaf shield and throwing it at the sandbag. "While it does block projectiles, the cost is one leaf. However, it can be punishable and gives me access to grapple approaches. When I go against opponents using the leaf shield, they may shield themselves from it and that's when I reach for a grab. Or I can roll around while using it and the opponent will have taken some damage. They shield, I grab."

"Wow, I didn't think the leaf shield could cause peril," Lucina commented on the lecture.

"Indeed, it gets better. When the opponent is near the edge of a platform, I can use it and the leaves can block an opponent from reaching the ledge — and they fall. They may try to jump back up, but they're out of luck if they get hit by the leaves."

"Impressive."

"Hopefully what I said about my abilities inspire you to help come up with team strategies for us," Mega Man said, ending his lecture. "I'm open to ideas so let me know, I don't want to leave my ally in the dark."

"I will, thank you for your lessons on your moves."

"You're welcome. Any questions — oh no!"

"What is it?" Lucina asked with concern at the blue robot who was on full alert.

"I forgot!" Mega Man cried anxiously. "I have a home run contest scheduled for today, and it starts soon! Darn, looks like we have to cut it short. I'll see you later, Princess." He started to depart from the training room, heading to Home Run stadium, leaving his ally behind.

Just as Lucina was to say something — Mega Man stopped in his tracks, remembering something. "Hey."

The Ylissean warrior shot a curious look. "Yes?"

"When this is over, can you tell me those stories? It's late afternoon, the day will end soon and we did a lot for today. Think you can share them for tonight?"

Lucina blinked with awe, feeling flattered that Mega Man was interested in hearing more about herself, even if it was her war experiences. It was difficult to deny and agreed they accomplished some training, ending their first day with personal stories didn't seem like a bad idea. It gave an opportunity for them to know each other a bit more. She beamed sweetly. "That can be arranged."

The robot smirked, pleased with her answer. "Thanks, I'll be back soon. Let's meet at the courtyard again in an hour, in the meantime go and relax yourself Princess. See you."

"See you, Mega Man. Good luck."

And with that, he disappeared. Not long after did Lucina follow pursuit.

.

In the gardens of the Smash Mansion, the Princess of Ylisse was seen having afternoon tea with the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom and the Hero King of Altea. It just so happened that Lucina had encountered Peach and Marth on her way back to the mansion and was invited for some refreshing tea. Seeing that it was too good to resist, Lucina sat down with her royal companions to indulge in the warm drink. They talked about their day, Peach disclosed amusing stories regarding her training with her teammate. Marth mentioned some irritation coming from Smashers not participating in the doubles tournament on certain areas that were closed off for team prep. Daily activities and competitions were limited; especially for Smashers in the tournament.

When Lucina's turn came, she told about her partner, her breakfast with Pit and the group, and her training — including that awkward moment when she discovered that Mega Man wasn't human.

"I was so flustered and ashamed that I apologized," she said as Peach poured more tea into her cup. The pink princess and Hero King laughed lightly at the story.

"Oh, there is no need to be ashamed," Peach remarked at her tale, placing the tea kettle back on the table. "I thought he was human at one point too."

"We all make mistakes Lucina," Marth added, sipping his tea. "Did he accept your apology?"

Lucina nodded. "Yes, my Lord. He was so kind to me about it, Mega Man is very... intriguing."

"That's wonderful," Marth congratulated. "It's good that you and your partner are getting along, it's an essential step to a strong team. If this continues you and Mega Man can do wonders."

The princess smiled at her ancestor's compliments. "Thank you, Sir."

"But don't forget there are other teams just as willing to win," Peach winked, teasing at Lucina. "If you two go against me and Greninja, don't think we will go easy on you."

"Of course not," Lucina assured. "We will give it our all, Peach."

"I wonder what the prize is for this doubles' tournament," Marth mused, changing the subject.

"I think it's the same as always," Peach replied to her fellow veteran Smasher. "A lot of gold maybe?"

"Actually, I read on the bulletin that it might be more than just gold," Marth said in speculation. This captured Lucina's attention on what the prize is, and possibly strengthening her ambition on winning the tournament. _Something more?_

"Really? Well, since Crazy Hand helped set this tournament up maybe the prize is something different," Peach spoke. "Great, now I'm curious."

"Exactly, I won't know since I am not even participating," said Marth, he then cracked a small joke. "So Lucina, for all of Altea — I mean Ylisse, your old man here asks of you to win for us."

Peach giggled at the comment and Lucina choked on her tea. The Hero King loved to tease to Lucina that because she was his descendant, he must be so old.

"O — oh, Your Grace," she mumbled.

"I will be rooting you and Mega Man on," Marth declared softly. "So do your best."

Lucina's face was flushed with red by her ancestor's support. "Thank you."

"Hey, why don't we turn on the TV to see what events are going on?" Peach inquired sweetly. She turned on her small television on the table and flipped to a channel, anticipating for some Smash news. A channel was found, and she turned up the volume.

 _"And we're back!"_ a voice called out from the TV's speakers, showing a gloved hand. _"Welcome back to today's Home Run Contest being held here at Home Run Stadium! This is Master Hand speaking, with special guest Jerome 'Doc' Louis who will be narrating the show!"_

 _"Thank you Master Hand,"_ Doc Louis spoke, a crowd was cheering in the background. _"Now before we start, I just wanna give a shout out to my boy Little Mac and his gruff partner, the Gerudo King Ganondorf for participating in next week's doubles tournament! You and Ganon can do it Mac, you got a whole week to prepare! Make sure to hit the other teams hard, I believe in you son!"_

"Mac and Ganon are a team?" Marth asked amusingly at the info, musing on what that duo would be like. "Oh boy."

" _And now we are near the end of the contest,"_ Master Hand announced. _"Our last two contestants are ready to begin. First, we will start with the Pokémon fighter from the Kalos region, Greninja!"_

Peach clapped her hands with joy in hearing Greninja's name. "Oh, it's my partner!"

 _"That's right, Greninja steps up to the plate!"_ Doc Louis cried with enthusiasm at Greninja standing on the platform. _"He looks so chill, but he gots some gleam in his eyes that says otherwise!"_

"You can do it Greninja!" cheered Peach at the television, her support was strong for her ally. Lucina and Marth attentively looked at the screen.

 _ **"**_ ** _READY? GO!"_**

 _"And he begins with a whopping sweep kick!"_ Doc Louis yelled, showing off Greninja's feats. _"Just look at the way he pulverizes that poor sandbag! Oof, he is jabbing that thing like mad, pulling off those sweet ninja moves! And oh, he's grabbing the bat! He is hitting it to increase its damage... five seconds left, can he do it?"_

"Let's go Greninja!" cried Peach toward the television. Marth and Lucina stared at her strangely for they have never seen the pink princess so enthusiastic. "Make your partner proud! Come on, come on!"

 _ **"Three**_ _**... Two... One...**_ _Grenin!"_

From there, Doc Louis reported how Greninja successfully swung the sandbag to over two thousand feet. Princess Peach cheered with glee at the milestone of her teammate, Marth on the other hand was impressed. "Wow!"

 _"And that was a mighty fine job done by the water Pokémon,"_ Doc Louis concluded, taking notice of Greninja leaving the platform. _"Greninja is now in the lead... he might take the gold! Unless the final opponent can do it better... oh here he comes!"_

Such anticipation and hype for this contest led the three royals to glue their attention to the television, awaiting who the final contestant was.

 _"And the final contestant is no other than the Blue Bomber, Mega Man!"_ Master Hand cried out. The crowd cheered for his appearance as he stepped on the platform. He waved at the crowd in response.

"What?!" Lucina cried in bewilderment at Mega Man's appearance, the princess' face was stunned... even adding to the effect were Marth and Peach's expressions just as equal.

 _"That's right, the Super Fighting Robot Mega Man is here to slay! Can he beat Greninja's score?"_ Doc Louis asked with suspense. _"We'll see what happens!"_

"Good lord! Mega Man is participating," The Hero King remarked. "Well Lucina, time to show your support!"

The Ylissean princess said no words, it did not occur that she would even hear about Mega Man's contest until after. Nor would it be on television, she secretly wished her partner luck.

 _ **"**_ ** _READY? GO!"_**

 _"Looks like he starting soft by shooting those pellets at the bag! What's this? The robot is throwing a metal blade! Oh, but that's not all... a spark shock! Ooh, and he cracks up the bat, hitting that bag crazy..."_

"Let's go Mega Man!" Marth cheered, while Peach sweat anxiously. "Greninja will stay on top, I just know it!" she cried.

 _"Five seconds left on the clock... just look at him go!"_ Doc Louis continued. _"It looks like he has this game in the bag!"_

"Lucina, show your support!" Marth urged at his descendant. "Chant his name!"

"Oh! Um... go Mega Man!" she cried timidly, she was too focused on Mega Man's participation to even show support.

 ** _"Three... Two... One...!"_**

From the TV, the three royals watched Mega Man initiate the sound of the bat punishing the sandbag by hitting it across the field hard. There was total silence for a few moments, but it was broken when the bag landed on the ground, indicating the end. The crowd cheered widely once Doc Louis issued how far the sandbag went and the score appeared on the screen.

 _"Oh my lord! The sandbag went over 2,500 ft! Approximately 2,901 ft! That is incredible, the blue robot broke a new score, beating Greninja's by 401! Does that mean we have a winner?"_

"Oh no," Peach stated sadly at the news, her face was crestfallen while Marth cheered profoundly. "Way to go!"

 _"Now let's tally up the scores,"_ Doc Louis said, watching for the results to display. _"And the winner is..."_

Peach crossed her fingers, pleading fate that maybe Mega Man's score was an error, and her teammate was the true victor. Lucina and Marth did not withdrew their eyes from the television, they were just as anxious for the results as she was. The camera that broadcasted the event zoomed onto the stadium's screen where the results pulled in, highlighting the scores of each fighter who participated in the contest. Then the screen changed to the winner, who was the Blue Bomber.

 _"Mega Man! The Super Fighting Robot wins this contest!"_ cried Doc Louis with glee. The crowd screamed with joy and chanted Mega Man's name, and the robot received a gold medal from Master Hand. Greninja and the third place fighter received their own medallions not long after.

"Incredible. Just incredible," Marth said in astonishment, witnessing the ceremony. "Lucina, Naga has blessed your team with this fantastic ally."

Peach smiled sadly, but also slightly thrilled for Mega Man. "At least Greninja put up a good performance... but wow, your partner is amazing Lucina. I might have to warn other teams about you two, hehe."

And as Lucina saw Mega Man smiling and waving at the crowd while proudly wearing his medallion, a small grin swept across her face.

.

"Sorry it took so long, I was on my way here and I got a lot of congrats on my victory. That and I ran into Sonic whom I haven't chat with for a while," Mega Man explained at his ally who sat patiently on the courtyard bench. Lucina had not forgotten their meetup after her afternoon tea, and she shook her head in response.

"There is no need to apologize, I completely understand. I saw you and your event on television."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, you did wonderful Mega Man. Well done."

The android's face was elated with happiness, especially when hearing a compliment from his own ally. "Thanks Lucina!" He sat next to his royal partner, staring at her intently with bright eyes as the sun set upon them. "Well, it's almost night time. You know what that means, right?"

"I do. Anything in particular you wish to hear about?" asked Lucina sweetly.

"Hmm, how about we continue about those healers... maybe a story... an experience you had with them?" Mega Man inquired excitedly. He could not wait to get started.

Lucina laughed lightly at the boy's jovial anticipation to hear about her experiences, finding them cute. "Very well, I do have one story. It's quite an amusing one."

"Go on."

"It's pretty long."

"I don't care how long it is Princess, I want to hear it."

The princess smiled at her ally, willing to end their first day of training with tales of her life in Ylisse. It seemed that her partner had taken an interest in her and as Marth said, if this continued — then maybe she and Mega Man could be a strong duo and sweep the doubles competition. Yes, such idea pleased her. They would adapt to each other in no time, and claim victory. It was a belief that had cemented within her.

"Back in my world — in Ylisse, my father has a younger sister named Lissa..."


	4. Chapter 3

**_A new chapter, and a new day! You know, this was originally planned as a novelette with a few chapters. Yet the more I work on this, the more it expands. It has so much potential, looks like this is now a full fledged fanfiction.  
_**

 ** _No I won't have it drag out, haha. That wouldn't be good. Regardless, thank you dear Reader for keeping up on my story! :)  
_**

 ** _Well, move along to Chapter 3!  
_**

* * *

 **3**

 _Day Two – Morning to Afternoon_

* * *

The apparition of the sunrise on the Smash Mansion indicated a new day, and Mega Man walked through the halls of the mansion's fifth floor. He was set on finding Lucina's dormitory. It would not be difficult to locate, but this hall was more crowded than his own floor which consisted of the third parties. On one side of the hall; it contained all of Lucina's fellow swordsmen from her realm, while the other had the fighters from Pit's world. The robot passed through the rooms of the Hero King and Radiant Hero, he then mused on who was moving to the room after theirs. As he moved by, he acknowledged it was in the process of renovation. There were rumors he heard of a red haired swordsman returning, but that wasn't the concern for his appearance here.

Mega Man pressed on to Robin's dorm. He viewed the tactician out of the room, closing his door and locking it. Robin looked up at the debut of the Blue Bomber on his floor, he was baffled since Mega Man didn't reside here. However, his mind clicked when he remembered Mega Man was Lucina's ally.

"Oh! Good Morning Mega Man," Robin greeted kindly, welcoming him.

"Hey Robin," the robot replied, expressing a small grin.

"If you're looking for Lucina, she's right in there," Robin advised, his head leading to the room across from his.

Mega Man headed to the door near him, the Ylissean brand was engraved on it in blue. He grinned widely as he took recognition that it was the princess' room. "Thanks."

The tactician nodded and walked off with books in hand, leaving the blue hero to knock on Lucina's door. "Princess? It's me."

From beyond the door in her usual attire, Lucina caught her partner's voice. She had finished straightening her bed and told him to come in. The princess was expecting his presence, Mega Man called her earlier about meeting each other for their second day. When he entered the room, Mega Man was quite speechless by it being ornate. It was dressed with the finest silks and drapery in a deep shade of blue, everything was so polished. It was distinct from his own residence which was more modern and mechanical.

"Wow, you have... a lot of luxury," he admitted.

"Oh, well... some were given to me as gifts from my family and the people of Ylisse," Lucina explained timidly while her partner's eyes roamed around the room. She walked to the curtains near her window to state an example. "These were made from the finest Ylissean silk, a gift from my mother."

"I see. I guess that's what you expect from a royal," Mega Man chuckled. He went around, looking for a seat in this luxurious room.

"I do not like to brag but... yes," Lucina mumbled, assuming she was not acting pompous in front of him. "You can sit anywhere, Mega Man."

"Mm. Moving on," Mega Man announced, pulling out a seat from her desk. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"No, not at all."

"Alright, so for today we're going to step it up," the robot declared, Lucina sat on her bed that was adjacent to her desk. "Also, I got the final roster on the teams participating."

"Oh? Let me see," Lucina requested, her teammate handed her a piece of paper with the teams in the doubles tournament.

"It doesn't say who we're up against, just the teams participating," Mega Man added, Lucina's eyes darted around the paper. "We won't know the line up until the day before the tournament."

"So we could go against any of these teams," Lucina remarked, observing the roster.

"Right. We could go against Shulk and Captain Falcon, Palutena and Rosalina, Diddy Kong and R.O.B — ?"

The blue hero's sentence ended abruptly due to rumbling heard from his partner's stomach. Thus, alluding Mega Man to shot out a confused look. Lucina's cheeks reddened from it. "Oh sorry..."

"Did you eat Princess?" Mega Man asked amusingly, aware it was still early in the morning. Even the face of his teammate allowed him to detect a possible answer.

"No... not yet."

"Well, we can't have someone discussing about tournaments on an empty stomach, how about I buy you something to eat? I brought some coins."

The princess' face was in a state of horror from the offer. "What? Oh no Mega Man — "

"Too late," The robot chirped, rising from his seat and heading toward the door. He had to take action to solve this hunger problem.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Lucina asked in disbelief. She could not believe that her ally planned to buy her a meal.

"I'll be right back Lucina! Stay here!" her partner called out as he went into the hall. The princess called out his name in dissent, but no avail. She lightly sighed in response, and stayed in her position; not bothering to chase after the resolute Blue Bomber.

.

Mega Man made no reluctance arriving at the mansion's café and buying Lucina breakfast, whether the princess warranted it or not. In addition of alleviating her hunger, it was also gratitude for the stories she told him last night. The Ylissean warrior had disclosed the whimsical war stories he requested, and thus felt he owed her a sort of debt. This was the least he could do, or so he believed. Mega Man walked out of the mansion's café, his hands holding a bag with food and a drink like treasure. He slightly opened the bag so he could admire the warm breakfast he ordered for Lucina. _I hope she likes this..._

"Well well, since when does Mega Man eat?" joked a voice.

The robot boy stopped in his trail, hearing the festive voice that mentioned his name. To his surprise, Mega Man turned back; gazing at a blue hedgehog and a masked warrior behind him.

He chuckled at their presence. "Sonic, I didn't expect to see you and Meta Knight here."

"Good Day Mega Man," Meta Knight addressed softly as the android saluted him.

"Hey Rock! Hope your morning has been good so far!" Sonic welcomed warmly, he then asked about the bag and drink Mega Man was holding. "Is that food for you? I thought robots couldn't eat."

The blue boy shook his head. "No, it's for my partner. She's hungry so I decided to buy something to fill her up."

"Really? You're too polite man."

"Lucina, correct?" Meta Knight asked on the Blue Bomber's ally.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Mega Man inquired in return.

"Let's just say that I was one of the fighters who assisted in finding her companion," Meta Knight spoke, Mega Man stared at him strangely. The male robot was not aware of the letter, nor did the warrior hardly spoke much. He wasn't the type to spill details.

"That's really sweet of you, Mega Man," Sonic complimented, moving the topic back to the food. "Lucina must be lucky on having an awesome partner like you."

"Oh come on," Mega Man argued on the hedgehog's adoration. "You're giving me too much credit."

"Nah, you deserve it," Sonic said, slapping his friend's back in a friendly matter. "You're big here in Smash, don't forget that."

"T — Thanks..." Mega Man smiled faintly. Yet, such behavior he displayed caused Meta Knight's eyes to narrow, sensing unease coming from the Blue Bomber on Sonic's praise. Something was off...

"No problem," Sonic replied, turning away from the flustered robot to other matters. "We better go — oof!"

"Watch where you're going!" a childlike voice scolded when the hedgehog bumped into him. Sonic looked down to see Bowser's son in his miniature clown car. Bowser Jr. glared at him for the collision.

"Oh. It's you," Sonic muttered at the koopa child. "Don't tell me you and Wario are here for a rematch. It's too early for that kid."

"No you idiot! I just ate," Bowser Jr. refuted. "And that match yesterday was totally unfair, you're too fast and Meta Knight's sword did some real damage to my car! My dad stayed up all night to fix it!"

"Well that's you get for battling with us," Sonic snickered. "Looks like you and Wario were too _slow_. _"_

"Why you — !"

"Ay Junior, quit it," Wario interjected. He pulled Bowser Jr. away as he passed by, ending the feud. "We'll deal with these losers later."

"Aw come on! We gotta beat them for real! How are we gonna win the competition next week?!" Junior whined at his partner.

"We have bigger fish to catch," Wario reminded, he grinned deviously at Mega Man for noticing his arrival. "And by bigger... I mean _better_. _"_

"Is something the matter?" Mega Man asked sternly, aware of Wario's behavior at him.

"Hahaha, nothing! After all, I'm sure Mario and everyone else has your back if something's wrong," Wario laughed in a mocking tone. "And everyone is expecting the great Blue Bomber to be so _amazing_ at next week's tournament with his partner, Marth."

"Marth? My partner isn't Marth..." Mega Man corrected at the greedy miser.

Wario blinked in surprise, while Junior stared at Mega Man in alarm. They thought for sure it was the Hero King. "Wha? He's not?"

"No. My partner's Lucina."

The name of Ylissean Princess suddenly drove Wario and Bowser Jr. to laughter. The two fell and rolled on the floor, letting it out. Mega Man frowned at the disrespect the team had toward his partner. "What's so funny?!"

The laughing team ignored Mega Man's question as they were too preoccupied in their own antics. The blue robot growled in anger and demanded an answer, he would not tolerate the dishonor imposed on Lucina. The princess was someone he was growing to respect and his first teammate for a tournament. He was about to reach Wario and grab him, but Sonic stopped him. His hand firmly grasping Mega Man's armor.

"Rock, take it easy," he warned.

A few moments after, the other team calmed down from their laughs, and rose up. Wario wiped a tear and smirked at the irritated machine. "Hah! I thought your team was a force to be reckoned with, but I was wrong when you have the _inferior clone_ as your partner! Do I pity you Mega Man!"

"Excuse me?" Mega Man asked, not catching well at the commentary.

"You didn't get paired up with the real deal," Wario mocked. "Instead you got Marth's cheap knock off."

"A knock off?!" Mega Man cried in defense. "She's a descendant of Marth!"

"Yeah, but what _good_ does that make? Lucina could have tried to change her fighting style! She has no originality Mega Man, and you know what _that_ means? A boring, _predictable_ team that can easily be taken out. Good luck!"

He moved away from the steamed robot and faced his ally with a surge of confidence. "Let's a go, Junior. I feel less intimidated for this tournament now after knowing what the 'Blue Bomber' has for a partner, hahaha!"

Bowser Jr. nodded and obeyed his command. "Hehe, see ya losers!"

Mega Man stood silent, feeling no need to speak. He was too sullen by what Wario said, the fighting miser had made a sore point on his team. One that seemed concerning and needed re evaluation. He touched on it before; but now he was thinking more profoundly of it. He started to bury himself in troublesome thoughts.

 _I know my database picked up that Lucina is similar to Marth, and so did the analysis on her yesterday. But that's because they're related... what if..._

He silently gasped as he came to a frightening conclusion.

 _What if... the princess' play style really_ _ **is**_ _seen as predictable by others?_

Indeed, if that were true; then other teams would have an advantage... Mega Man felt his screws tighten. Like Wario said, distinctions between her and Marth were nonexistent. If noticed, they were minuscule in comparison. At the same time, the robot knew the Princess of Ylisse was a scion of the Hero King so it was understandable for the resemblance.

If he understood that, then why did he suddenly feel...

Mega Man was plucked out from his internal conflict when Sonic stuck his tongue at the other team. "What a bunch of jerks."

"An act of fools," Meta Knight added.

"Yeah, don't listen to them," Sonic issued to his robotic friend. "I know you and Lucina are a great team. Hey, maybe we could have a practice battle sometime this week."

"I wouldn't mind..." Mega Man mumbled.

"Alright, well we gotta start our training," Sonic said sadly. "You going to be okay?"

The blue machine let out a faint smile, trying to convey a positive message. "I'll be fine."

"Alright! Welp gotta run! Meta Knight, last one to the Luigi's Mansion stage for training is a rotten egg!" The blue blur zoomed away, leading his partner to groan.

"Is he always going to do this..." Meta Knight grumbled, following on his teammate's gimmicks.

He then paused his flight, inspecting on Mega Man solemnly looking down on the food for Lucina. As a result, he was willing to move his mouth for a few words of advice.

"Mega Man."

The Blue Bomber looked up at the masked vigilante. "Yes?"

"Tell me something, do you _trust_ your partner? Do you believe that you and Princess Lucina can achieve a strong bond by the end of the week? Do you two have what it takes to win?"

Mega Man blinked, they were crucial questions to alliances. It did not help that Meta Knight's eyes were beaming keenly at his blue ones. He immediately placed an answer to end the tension. "Yeah, I think we'll do fine. Why?"

"Really? Your eyes tell me a different story."

Mega Man's face softened. "Huh?"

"You have much yet to learn, Mega Man. While your bond with her is developing, it is also fickle. I sense there will be some obstacles between you two, and if not resolved... they could lead to devastating consequences. However, if you and the princess can over come them, expect great results. Further more, I advise you not submit to delusions. This person may help free you from a long time burden you are carrying..."

"Obstacles? Delusions? A _burden?_ Care to explain?"

"All I can say is this... work with her and find out. Who knows? She might need comforting in return, after all a sensitive subject has been said..."

"What — "

One flip of Meta Knight's cape to conceal him and he was gone, Mega Man stood still. He wanted to interpret the vigilante's words, but it was difficult because he found them vague. Thus, it was frustrating to even think about anymore, he suppressed a sigh and walked back to Lucina's room. The food was getting cold and Lucina must be wondering how long it was taking for him to return.

.

"You really didn't have to get me this," Lucina commented uneasily at Mega Man's breakfast gift. He had arrived at Lucina's room not long after, and she was still stunned by his kindness. "I'm so sorry that you went through all the trouble..."

"It's not a problem Princess," the robot replied with a weak grin. "I wouldn't want my partner training without a good meal."

"You were there for quite a while," Lucina pondered, hesitantly taking the food Mega Man offered. "Was the line long?"

Mega Man made no comment regarding the small feud with Wario's team. Instead, he put that behind and told her about his meet up with Sonic.

"He's a close friend of yours, is he?" Lucina chuckled at the story.

While she grinned at her partner, the Blue Bomber awkwardly twist his lips up in return. Internally, he was disgusted with himself for lying to the princess and not telling her the rest. Keeping secrets could break trust, but at the same time he did not want to burden Lucina with personal nuisances. He feared a possible setback in their partnership if he did. However, part of him was urging to speak up; as these could become issues.

Mega Man felt — conflicted.

 _Just... relax, Rock._

He took a deep breath to calm himself and covered the problems with a laugh. "There's that joke that me, Mario, Sonic, and Pac-Man are the legends of Smash," he remarked, sitting across from her. "I find that a little exaggerated, I mean everyone else here is just as important."

"Modest I see," Lucina said sweetly of his humility, munching on her breakfast sandwich.

"Yeah, well finish your meal Princess," Mega Man said, changing the subject to more important matters. Everything else can be set aside, for now. "I would like to go back on our discussion about the tournament."

"Go on Mega Man," Lucina issued, sipping her drink. "If you insist."

"Certainly. Besides the official teams, there are other events besides the doubles tournament next week." Mega Man handed her more fliers on the other activities.

"There's more?" Lucina inquired, taking the fliers and reading them.

"Yes. The doubles tournament is main thing, but there are smaller events teams can participate after matches. Apparently, they're for testing out teamwork in other areas. Of course, I'm all up for them... but only if you want to join Princess. We could snag some prizes."

The Princess of Ylisse was thinking of taking it to consideration, if they would broaden her experience in teamwork then; it looked like a good idea. "I suppose we could have a go at it," she said. "We are going in the right track, and we could expand our horizons to other activities."

Her partner nodded with endorsement on her decision. "That's great to hear, Lucina. I'm glad you're being open minded about this, how about we join a practice event for today? There's a few going on, would you like to go for it?"

Lucina's eyes fluttered at that, thirsty for more information and ambitious for a challenge. "What events are available for us to try out?"

.

It did not take long for the blue duo to arrive at the place they aimed for. Along with three other teams, Mega Man and Lucina arrived at Wii Fit Studio, where three mii fighters stood in front of them. The looks on their faces indicated that fooling around was prohibited, rather it was time for discipline.

"So, you all are teams participating in next week's doubles tournament," announced a female mii otherwise known as the Mii Gunner. She walked by the groups, gawking at them. "I hope all of you are here because you and your partner are willing to train; or just want to see where the team stands. Anyone that _isn't_ here for these purposes, get out."

There was no response, none of the teams left out of their positions. The gunner nodded in accordance. "Good, and I'm sure you all are here because this is also practice for an event you guys can participate in along with next week's tournament. Correct?"

The teams nodded, adverting Mii Gunner to smile. "I'm glad. You should thank Master and Crazy Hand in expanding the tournament as more than teams fighting each other. We fighting mii teams take great pleasure with helping them host this year's mini tournament events."

"Yes, and thus we welcome you to the practice _One hundred Multi-Man Smash_ challenge," added another mii fighter who held a sword. The Mii Swordsfighter walked up near the gunner, showing his authority. "This event will be held during the fourth day of the tournament. If you wish to know more information about specific times, just check the bulletins around the mansion for the schedule."

"That's right, and this event will be held several times per day so plenty of shots are available," said the final mii fighter who was the Mii Brawler. "Sign up isn't necessary, but it's recommended that you arrive an hour early if you want to secure a spot for a specific time. We accept no more than four teams per round."

"Winners get a prize which consists of two hundred coins for the winning team, a medallion, and a free ticket to an event at Master or Crazy Orders," the Gunner declared. "Not too bad of prizes right?"

Mega Man coolly whirred himself in agreement, fond of the event. The guidelines so far seemed fair.

"Next is how this challenge will work," Mii Swordsfighter said. "Since this is doubles oriented, we had to switch up things to make it distinct from the singles version. For one, you will be placed against a rival team at regular or Big Battlefield and two; whichever team knocks out one hundred fighters first is the winner of the match. The winning teams will proceed to the final round, while the losing teams head for the third place match."

"And once those matches are done, the winners will be announced and the teams get their prizes," Brawler affirmed. "However, since this is just practice... that doesn't apply here."

"Right, now any questions before we assign you to your rival teams?" The gunner inquired.

A small furry paw rose in the audience, leading Mii Gunner to pick on the Smasher who lifted it. "Yes?"

"Are we allowed to hit the opposing team while we knock out mii fighters? And steal some of their kills?" questioned the aura Pokémon, Lucario.

"Good questions," Swordsfighter stated. "The answers to both are: 'Yes, you can.' If you see a team about to knock out a mii; you can sweep up and take out the mii yourself. It will count as a point for your team. Of course, you do not want to end up fighting the other team; save that for the doubles tournament. Your main focus is that your team knock outs a hundred mii fighters before the other team does."

"I see. Very well, thank you."

 _So, to knock out as many fighters before the other team does..._ Lucina thought on the answers to Lucario's questions.

" _It's a good thing he asked those questions,"_ Mega Man whispered to her. _"I had similar inquiries myself."_

"Anyone else?" Brawler asked, waiting for more questions. None were seen. "No? Well let's get started! Time to assign you to your rival teams!"

"Hmm, how about you two," Gunner pointed at Mega Man and Lucina. She lead her finger to the other side. "Go against this team."

The blue duo turned to face who their rival team was, curious. For the first time, they were to engage in a challenge together; a potential step up to their prep. Thus, they desired to know who would accompany them in this training session. The other team stepped forward, directing themselves at the blue team. Villager and Pikachu waved at their rival team, while Mega Man and Lucina stared at them closely. The two observed them slowly, the simple team seemed friendly; but they had an aura that even Lucario sensed of their determination to win.

" _Careful, they may look friendly... but they got some tricks up their sleeve,"_ Mega Man softly warned to Lucina.

" _I see you noticed it as well,"_ Lucina whispered back.

The villager and Pokémon greeted the cautious team, revealing their excitements for the practice match between the two groups.

"May the best team win," Villager stated blissfully. "This is going to be a fun match."

"Pika!" Pikachu added.

The other group said nothing, as they were tentative to watch for any facades. Villager simply beamed from the team's slight hostile behavior at him and Pikachu. It was amusing that he found distrust. Soon, the groups were dispatched to their respective stages; preparing for their matches.

* * *

The two teams stood on the platform of Big Battlefield, inclining to begin the competition. As they waited for it to start; Mega Man loaded his Mega Buster to inspect, while Lucina clutched her sword close to her heart. Like many battles she participated, she prayed for this match to end well for her and her ally. She hoped for Naga's guidance to aid her.

 _I wish of nothing but good fortune. Father, I shall not fail._

The blue robot had finished examining his arm cannon, he expressed great relief seeing everything was in check. When his eyes moved to Lucina praying with her sword, she stopped and looked at him confidently.

"Well Mega Man, shall we show them what we're made of?"

From those words, Mega Man's confidence started to fade. Conflicting feelings rose again from earlier, his mind started to battle against these overwhelming emotions. He thought he stored them away.

 _No... not now. Stop, everything will be fine._

He attempted to return the grin at his partner, but his face dropped to worry. The blue hero turned away in shame, stupefying the princess. His electrical eyes dimmed, he did not wish to display this sort of behavior at her.

 _Princess..._

Lucina viewed at the robot with sudden concern, he did not seem so enthusiastic for the match. Something was out of place. _Mega Man?_

"The match is about the start," Villager reported, taking note of fighting mii teams falling from the skies.

"What?" Mega Man asked in dismay, gazing at the heavens.

"Pika – Pika!" Pikachu cried, readying himself.

Lucina instantly placed her sword into combat, shutting off all other thoughts and glared up at the descending teams. The time had come. Three mii fighters landed vigorously on the floating platforms of the stage, drawing out their weapons. Their faces desired for combat at the two teams they faced against.

 _ **READY? GO!**_

The two teams raced toward the fighters, aiming for knock outs and a win for the match. The battle had begun.

Lucina hurtled her sword at one of the fighters, whose blade clashed with hers. The force of the Parallel Falchion pressured the struggling swordsfighter to withdraw his sword. He unleashed a swipe at the blue warrior, but Lucina kept up with his movements by engaging her blade in a duel. Each blow the mii fighter attempted was blocked by the Falchion. Seeing that this joust was heading nowhere, the mii fighter moved his sword down to hit Lucina out of balance; the Ylissean warrior flipped herself away from the strike. As she moved behind him, she struck a blow against the fighter, flying him out of the arena. Lucina settled back down on the platform, pleased by knocking out the mii and scoring a point. Yet, she was not done as a brawler clashed in with a punch.

With the other team, Villager captured another fighter using his bug net. He suffocated the mii while it fought to break free. Once the amount of damage was done as he desired, Villager swung the fighter out of the stage. The fighter silently dropped below the depths of the battlefield and was defeated.

The fighting town mayor smirked as he looked below. "One down."

He looked up to see Pikachu electrocuting some of the fighting miis with his thunder jolt. Any that came from above were hit by thunder he summoned from the skies. The Pokémon knew his partner was viewing him and called Villager to finish the job. Villager nodded, and began planting something. He watered the soil so a tree would emerge from the ground. He silently pulled out his axe, and waited for the Pokémon to lure the fighters in. Villager whistled Pikachu to come, and the yellow mouse dashed away from the combatants. The fighting horde chased after him, leading to Pikachu hiding behind the trap.

As Pikachu gave the signal that fighters were coming, Villager lurched his axe on the tree bark. Once the horde appeared, they were greeted by a lone tree. A gunner aimed to blast the obstacle, but tree was chopped down by Villager's axe and it crashed onto the fighters; eliminating them from the area. The Pokémon cheered at the miis they cleared out, Villager gave him a high five. Their teamwork was on par to their standards so far.

Meanwhile, Mega Man pursued to blast off a mii gunner. Each shot he blew from his arm cannon did no damage as the mii fighter dodged each one. This bothered the robot. "Ugh, stay still!"

He was too focused on the gunner that he failed to realize a swordsfighter crept up behind him. She released a slash of her blade behind his back, Mega Man yelped from the cold steel slicing his armor, losing his aim. Instead, his arm cannon's blast almost hit his partner who was in the middle of combat. Lucina dodged in shock from the blow, recognizing her partner's attack. "Wrong way Mega Man — ugh!"

Lucina was hit by the brawler's uppercut, her face exposed pain from the blow and was finished by a spin kick. The poor princess' body was thrown, she crashed into the Blue Bomber and the two hit the floor.

Mega Man grunted from Lucina's weight pressed upon him. "Princess, please get off..."

The other team carried funny looks on their faces on the reckless status of their rival team. Not only did the two look disoriented, it seemed they were having difficulty. Regardless, Villager and Pikachu continued on with their task; they were set on conquering the round.

.

Deep within the Smash Mansion, a giant library was seen. Two Smashers sat at a table concealed by book shelves. To them, this was the perfect spot for concentration. It was away from any distractions due to its seclusion from the rest of the library. A white haired tactician made markings with a pen on the list of teams officially in the tournament. His pink partner, Kirby peered through the books stacked on the table. Being a master of tactics and planning, Robin liked to do research. For this tournament, he knew strategy would play a big component. So he analyzed each team, stating strengths, weaknesses, and comparing it to his own. He jot down each of his thoughts in a book, and made predictions of possible match ups.

 _So if Link's arrows increase damage when he charges them to the bow longer..._

Robin's thoughts faded away when he heard voices lurking in the area, he placed his pen down and searched for them. Kirby discerned his gesture. "Poyo?"

"Shhh," Robin hushed at the pink fighter. He continued to look for a source by leaving the table.

"So, why are we here again?"

"You said you wanted a break so I thought I'd take you to someplace peaceful."

"Are you serious?! I meant it as a _phrase!_ Not that I actually needed one!"

"Hey quiet," Pit scolded at his partner Falco, who was fuming. "We're in a library you know."

"How about we head to the training room and work on our cooperation?!" Falco hissed, ignoring the setting they were in. "Especially after that disastrous game we just had against Mario and Link!"

The angel chuckled at his avian ally, walking passed shelves of books. "Oh, we have plenty of time for a revenge match. It's that right now, I want to relax."

The pilot huffed with astonishment. "I wonder how Palutena deals with you."

"Same here, in fact I ask myself that everyday," chimed in black winged angel who approached them. Dark Pit was currently looking for nature themed fairy tales for the goddess, Viridi. He clutched the books he had in hand so Pit wouldn't see the titles.

"Oh hey there Pittoo!" Pit greeted at his dark counterpart. "What's up?" Dark Pit clenched his fists in anger from hearing that silly nickname. "I told you not to call me that!"

"Sorry! You know me, sometimes teasing you is so fun," Pit chirped. Dark Pit and Falco sighed, unamused by Pit's youthful tendencies.

From afar, Robin was peering at them behind a bookshelf. He frowned at the other Smashers invading on his personal space and interrupting his work. He was sure this area would be immune to chit chat, but he was wrong. The Avatar was planning to politely ask them to leave — until Pit pointed at the flat screen television on the wall. "Oh! An event is going on!"

"Huh, it seems that Master Hand keeps broadcasting events more often than usual," Falco surmised, gazing at the television screen.

"Must be because of the doubles tournament being such a big deal. The media keeps showing off the teams," Dark Pit muttered. "Meh, I'm glad I didn't join that stupid competition."

Suddenly, Pit gasped from seeing one of his idols on the screen; his face shined with glee. "It's Mega Man!"

Robin's eyes widened on those remarks. If Mega Man was being seen, then Lucina must be there as well. Perhaps now was a good time to check up on how she and her ally were doing. He advanced to the three fighters with Kirby following suit, eager to make sure. "Is there something going on?"

"Hey Robin! Just seeing today's event on TV," Pit said happily. "Look, there's Lucina!"

Robin was about smile once he saw his dear friend on the screen, but instead his face paled when he saw the princess struggling against mii fighters.

 _Oh no..._

"Why is Lucina fighting against those mii teams alone?" Dark Pit inquired. "Doesn't she have a partner?"

"Yeah, so is Mega Man," Falco speculated. "Aren't they supposed to be a team?"

"Wait, her partner is _Mega Man?"_

"Yes."

Dark Pit sucked in his cheeks from learning that information.

"Oh come on, I know Mega Man and Lucina can pull this off," Pit stated confidently at the other Smashers. "You guys got to have faith!"

"You sure? It doesn't look like they're cooperating at all... what kind of multi-man challenge is this?"

While Dark Pit was seen as a serious and blunt fighter, Robin couldn't help but agree with his words. The Avatar was growing concern for the blue duo, as if something was missing.

.

Back at the battlefield, Mega Man used his cannon to protect himself from a fighter's sword. The blade smacked against the Mega Buster and the Blue Bomber worked to keep the fighter away. His grit his teeth as his blue boots struggled to stand firm, his legs trembled slightly from the force hitting his buster.

"Ah... augh..."

Lucina gasped on seeing her teammate in trouble, she ran to help him but Mega Man yelled at her in protest. He expressed dissent in her aiding his own battle. "No, stay back! I'll deal with this thing myself!"

"But — "

"Just knock out the other fighters! Our score desperately needs to bump up!"

The Princess of Ylisse could not fathom the sudden commands given nor Mega Man's brash behavior. While defeating these hordes of fighters on their own was fine, it would be more efficient to cooperate. Did they not plan to have this practice match, _together?_

A gunner was about to shoot the musing princess, but Villager jumped at him and slingshot a pellet — the fighter was immobilized slightly. Villager signaled his partner to come and Pikachu went up to perform a grab on the stunned fighter. The electric mouse shocked him while on his back, and forwardly threw the fighter away from the arena. Another point scored for the team.

"We're almost near the halfway mark Pikachu," Villager said proudly, he danced at their accomplishments. The Pokémon giggled in return, soon this win would be theirs. "Pika – Pi!"

Lucina grew slightly envious at the other team, she did not expect things to go sour. They were not even near the halfway mark, and started to fear a loss.

She then mentally smacked herself for thinking so harshly. No, a loss was unacceptable! She was a strong and resilient fighter, the Princess — no Warrior of Ylisse would not succumb to a loss. As a result of such mentality, she sprinted herself for Mega Man's aid; her sword firmly in her grasp. A change in direction for this match was needed, and she would be the one to initiate it.

 _ **We**_ _will not lose!_

"Villager and Pikachu are taking away this competition," Falco said; noticing the amount of fighters they knocked out in comparison to Lucina's team shown on the television screen.

"What? No! Come on Mega Man! You and your partner can do it!" Pit cried in disbelief, hoping for a drastic switch during the match. When he saw Lucina running down to Mega Man, his face lightened for a beacon of hope was possibly found. "Lucina!"

Dark Pit's gaze narrowed when he saw the Ylissean warrior wipe out mii fighters along the way to reach her partner. Mega Man also held an uneasy look on his face from the scene.

" _No, Princess!"_

The dark angel sighed deeply, as this sort of thing seemed to a mirror a previous experience.

 _Just as I thought. He is no different than_ _ **before**_ , _Lucina..._

Robin quietly observed the disdain Dark Pit had at the blue android, his face was suspicious. Why did Dark Pit look at the screen with such scorn? Was there something he was aware of that everyone else was too oblivious to notice? The Avatar just couldn't put his finger on it...

He would investigate on it later, as he pulled his attention back to the battle at hand; wishing for it to change course.

 _May the scales tip in your favor, Lucina._


	5. Chapter 4

**_Hello Reader, how have you been? I hope alright._**

 ** _This chapter has been the most tedious I've written; there were a few scenes I had to rewrite and scrap from the drafts before I could post the final product. It was kind of annoying at one point. Ah, the beauty of writing…_**

 ** _Thus concludes this author note, I'll allow this chapter be your ride now. Bon Voyage!_**

* * *

 **4**

 _Day Two – Afternoon to Night_

* * *

She knocked out each fighter in her way; Lucina was immovable to accept her partner's pleas of not interfering his duel. She danced her Parallel Falchion in various movements to swipe out her opponents. In addition, she activated the dancing blade. They were not a delicate sequence of attacks; any who would cross it would get severed. When Parallel Falchion blew the last fighter out of the stage; Lucina reached Mega Man who wrestled with a Mii Swordsfighter. She would end this match by her regalia blade.

Mega Man sensed Lucina's presence, she was not far. In fact she was close, deadly close. At that point, he knew his pleadings were discarded. The princess had disobeyed his order — wait, was it one in the _first place?_ He did not think she would violate his requests; she had listened to everything he said prior. What drove her to go against him now? These requests, they were basic. All Lucina had to do was not intervene and fight off the mii teams to raise their score. Did she not give a drop of care about their current situation? The Blue Bomber only said what he believed was crucial, unless they were _flawed?_

Mega Man had no time to _speak_ about it, not when someone pressed a weapon against his buster. This swordsfighter was no pushover, and the blue robot was caught in a struggle. He did not wish for Lucina's involvement, not when she could defeat other fighters and boost their score. Simply helping him would stall progress.

If only he could tell her that, if this fighter — this _obstacle_ , moved away.

Before Mega Man could make a move, Lucina was already in the midst of the struggle. Willing to end it and save her partner, she wielded the Falchion; sweeping down on the mii and smash him out of the stage. However, the mii fighter was aware of the hazard behind him. He was agile enough to jump and flip away before the Falchion could touch him. Instead, the sword hit the wrong target.

Lucina's eyes widened when the Falchion slammed directly into Mega Man. The blue android's eyes were just as wide, he was stunned from the attack. His agonized eyes shut and was launched out of the stage. An explosion came afterward, he was out.

Everything seemed so frozen in time; Lucina gazed at the horizon with horror. Even Villager and Pikachu and the rest of the fighters on the stage stopped their battles to look.

 _What have I done?_ The princess thought in distraught.

"Did you see that?!" Pit cried at the Smashers accompanied with him. They continued watching the Multi-Man Smash event on television. "She knocked him out! Lucina knocked her own teammate out!"

"Gods," Robin gasped, who witnessed Mega Man's fall.

Kirby's face dropped to anguish, while Falco's beak was agape. He tried to say something, but hesitated — until the words finally rolled out of his tongue. "Damn... just damn."

"Lucina!" Pit cried, frantically placing his hands over his head. "You weren't supposed to do that!"

Dark Pit sighed at the other Smashers' reactions, finding them unnecessary. "You guys are overreacting, he will re spawn."

"Huh?"

Back at the event — Lucina turned away from the horizon, meeting with the mii swordsfighter who dodged her blow. The fighter became fearful when the princess' eyes pierced at him; she held a murderous intent and whacked the fighter out with the Falchion. Yes, the Princess of Ylisse was not only upset but furious. How dare the fighter avoid the first attack that it hit her partner?! If only she could turn back things, but impossible — the battle resumed with mii fighters cornering her and leaped to attack. The princess clung her sword so she could fight each one. It seemed she was on her own, for now.

A floating platform approached the stage, holding a Smasher. Mega Man re spawned and hopped out of the platform. As he reached down, Lucina brawled against the teams. The Parallel Falchion blocked a brawler's foot and knocked him out upwards, then Lucina swept down to knock away a gunner. She countered another gunner that jumped down to shoot her, and chucked away from a swords mii slashing at her. Using her footwork, Lucina was able to keep herself steady; until two fighters prepared to hit her from behind.

They were stopped by Mega Man shooting one of them down. The other mii went toward him for interfering. When she came close, Mega Man took hold of the fighter using his super arm. His sole hand crushed the agonizing mii and tossed her out the stage. These teams had caused enough havoc for one session.

Mega Man jumped within the melee Lucina was in, aiding her in combat. The princess recognized her ally's return. "Mega Man?!"

He said nothing; rather he did an uppercut at an opponent. The android's face was solemn, and not in the mood for talk. Lucina blinked in surprise, she thought he was out.

Their rival team perceived Mega Man's return to the battlefield. Villager smiled at the blue duo, noticing the serious atmosphere between the two.

"Mega Man is back!" Pit cried with relief at the screen, he looked at his dark counterpart. "So you were right, Pittoo!"

Dark Pit rolled his eyes from Pit's silly remarks and at the name. "Of course he would return. This challenge doesn't have the fighters with stocks now do they? They are revived."

Robin sighed in relief that the Blue Bomber's elimination was not permanent. Now, Lucina was no longer alone in the battle. Yet, he saw tension between his friend and her partner. Even if he was looking at a television screen, the Avatar could assimilate a possible conflict between the two.

 _Things do not look so good,_ he thought warily. _Lucina, I know you and Mega Man can pull through. Do not fail._

.

It was not hard detecting a probable hostility, Lucina was aware of it. Her partner did not look too thrilled despite his return, and hit each fighter with such fierce. He even ignored her. Indeed, one could view that the Blue Bomber was upset. The Princess of Ylisse looked at him with worry, perhaps she should had never interfered. After all, she did disobey Mega Man's request. Was that the reason for his sudden cold shoulder at her?

At the same time, was she truly the blame? The lack of cooperation between the two drove her off the edge. Lucina had to do something! It seemed ludicrous her partner might be upset over something so trivial! It was only then, that Lucina would _not_ take this sort of hostility either; and planned putting an end to this friction. Otherwise, cooperation would stagger.

"Mega Man, are you angry for what happened earlier?" she called out, slashing away a brawler who tried to kick her. Maybe if talks formed while the two engaged in this melee, they could work as a team more efficiently.

The Blue Bomber dodged a series of blasts from a gunner and shot him away. Mega Man heard Lucina's question, the princess finally caught on. Regardless, he spoke. "I'm fine! Just keep attacking!"

The tone in his voice gave Lucina a different impression — perhaps annoyance. The Ylissean warrior did not believe that reply was sufficient enough. "Are you sure?!"

Two mii fighters were caught in a crash bomb, once it exploded and injured them; Mega Man blasted the doomed miis off with a charge shot. "I said _I'm fine!_ "

"Forgive me, but I — I don't believe you!" Lucina cried, running across the platform and piercing each fighter off the stage that came in contact with her blade.

"Princess, enough talk and just fight!" Mega Man barked, brawling with a swordsfighter. He was growing agitated at her inquiries.

"I am _fighting!_ " the princess yelled. "But... do you not feel that something is _missing_ as we fight through this game?! Perhaps — the lack of cooperation?!"

Once those words escaped Lucina's mouth, her partner's face froze. The Princess of Ylisse made no mistake; their synergy throughout this challenge was weak. Mega Man was in shame from such realization — how could he missed that? How could he allowed this? They were doing wonderful on the first day, acting like allies. Now by the second, they were total strangers? They were supposed to be a _team._

There was a source to blame, and he found it was those troubling thoughts he quietly endured. He failed to describe them, but they intruded on his work. These intense worries on his team gnawed on him, Mega Man was angrier from attaining that source as the reason.

 _Lucina is right. I have been neglecting our alliance,_ he thought. _I am submitting to those unnecessary worries. I told myself I wouldn't... why won't these feelings go away?!_

From being so engrossed in musings, the Blue Bomber was oblivious of a fighter charging at him. Lucina swiftly perceived the danger and rushed to her partner, eager to save him. As Mega Man was almost at a gunner's reach, Lucina immediately jumped in front and embraced her partner to protect him. She rapidly propelled themselves away when the gunner fired a series of energy blasts, each of them hitting her cape that shielded her and the android. Mega Man was out of his thoughts when he realized what was happening; he looked up at the blue warrior rescuing him.

 _...Princess?_

When his curious eyes met with hers, a faint smile swept across Lucina's face.

 _"I got you,"_ she whispered, and they tumbled down to the floor of the arena.

.

The Princess of Ylisse lifted herself away from the android and faced the arena. Meanwhile Mega Man stayed on the floor, stunned by the rescue. When Lucina looked behind, she turned away, intent on saying something to change the fate of this battle once and for all.

"Stand, Mega Man."

The robot blinked on what was requested, or _commanded_. Was he hearing things correctly? "Sorry, what?"

"Stand," Lucina said, this time her voice was stern.

"Huh?"

"Do as I say."

The relentless tone in her voice made the robot urgently stand. This woman did not seem like someone to disobey now; he grew intimidated by it and wondered the sudden change. "Princess?"

"Don't give up Pikachu!" Villager warned his partner from the other side of the stage, he sweat profoundly as he jabbed a mii fighter with his boxing gloves. The fighting mayor started feeling tired from the amount of damage done. Despite them being in the lead, the fighters were becoming more rapid and intense for combat.

The yellow Pokémon nodded, and used a neutral attack at another fighter. His head clashed against the mii's body, slinging him out. Alas, Pikachu was not quick enough to avoid a mii gunner upper cutting him; a burst of flames from his gun trailed in afterward, scorching the mouse. "Pika!"

"No!" Villager cried at his partner's ambush. As he called out Pikachu's name, a brawler came in and slammed the mayor with his fist; later he landed a hard kick that sent Villager flying to the skies.

Lucina and Mega Man witnessed all this, which lead the princess quietly hold out her sword again. Her fingers tightened around the Falchion's grip. The princess' back was still toward her partner, with Mega Man only seeing her cape flutter and the Brand of the Exalt embedded on it. Lucina prepared herself for a short speech.

"I do not know what is troubling you," she began. "And if you do not want to tell me, that is fine. However, this is _no_ time for laments or attitudes. We are in a battle, and we are a _team_. _We_ have not met to that standard, and _we_ must change that. Mega Man, either we fight alongside as comrades or we fight as strangers."

Mega Man blinked again, not only that, but he was speechless. There was something new about his ally. She was behaving so strict, compared to yesterday where she was more lenient. What he realized, was Lucina detested disorder and inefficient effort within battles. Her speech was enough proof of the disappointment she had on the team. For in games like these, she took them seriously.

Lucina detected the silence from her teammate, and she was alright with that. Hopefully, his silence meant he received the message that this challenge was to be achieved at the fullest. To fall into failure was repugnant, she already witnessed many losses back in Ylisse.

"So tell me," Lucina added, while staring closely at a mii who aimed her sword at the princess. "Mega Man, will you be the gun at my side? Or will you ignore my words and be the foolish warrior who fights on his own?"

"P — Princess..." her partner replied in astonishment.

"My name is not Princess."

"Excuse me?"

The lady of Ylisse placed a familiar mask on that she used to wear. "That is simply a subterfuge, Mega Man. You may call me Lucina."

.

At the library Pit and the other Smashers continued viewing the Multi - Man match. They cheered as they saw the rescue and speech; Robin was astonished and pleased with them. He commended Lucina for her brave actions.

 _At last,_ he thought. _Wonderful job Lucina, now you two may have a chance. Chrom, if only you could see your daughter right now..._

"May I ask what is going on here?"

The five Smashers turned away from the television to search for the voice. It was no other than the Hero King Marth, who stood near them. Behind him were two other fighters, Fox and Samus.

"Lord Marth," Robin greeted in shock. The Altean prince was certainly an unexpected visit, along with the acquaintances that stood with him.

"Not sure if you all realize this, but we can hear you guys from the studio," Fox complained. "Did you know there is a yoga session going on now?"

"Since when did you participate in yoga?" Falco questioned, Fox rolled his eyes at his friendly rival.

"We're here because Wii Fit Trainer kept complaining about noise interrupting his yoga class. He asked us if we could stop it," Samus explained.

"Also because _we_ were getting annoyed by the noise," Marth added, crossing his arms. "Finally, you're in a library! Do you fighters have no respect — "

"Quiet!" Pit interrupted with a complaint of his own. "We're watching a match here featuring Lucina and Mega Man!"

"What?!" Marth cried, discarding everything else. Lucina was on television? The Hero King gazed the screen to see his descendant and the Blue Bomber. "Oh..."

.

The mii fighter dashed across the arena, aiming to thrust his sword at the masked woman wielding the Falchion. Lucina, while vigilant — waited for Mega Man's answer.

"Well Mega Man, will you battle alongside me? I suggest you choose your answer right now," she warned, narrowing her eyes at the mii coming at her. "Or..."

Such a request! Mega Man did not have any words escape his mouth, he was still blown away by Lucina's speech. Yet time was crucial, a decision was in order. All this pressure placed him in a state of insecurity.

 _I..._

" _Will you be the gun at my side?"_

That question, he absorbed it like a power up. It crossed his processor, and ruled out any other concerns. Nothing but that question circled around him, and the Blue Bomber discovered what he truly had to do.

He found his answer.

When the fighting mii leaped to annex Lucina for an attack, the robot threw his metal blade to stop the ambush. Beneath her mask, the princess' eyes beamed at the blade's razors painfully halting the fighter.

... _I_ _ **will**_ _._

"Now Lucina!"

When she heard Mega Man's words, Lucina hounded the mii with her sword and thrust the blade right at him, shooting him out of the stage. She turned to her partner, who she smirked at, grateful for the change. Finally, they can work as one. "Not bad, do I take what you did as a 'Yes'?"

The blue hero nodded, faintly smiling in return. "Let's finish this."

The duo started to knock out more fighters, staying close together and attacked any fighting miis in their way. Each fighter was met with sword and gun, and their lives ended from shots and slashes. Their score increased rapidly with each fighter hit, passing the halfway mark. Eventually their score was tied with Villager and Pikachu's score.

 _Ninety-Nine._

 _Just one more,_ Lucina thought as she darted across the stage. _We can do this!_

"Lucina, to your left!" Mega Man called out, recognizing the last fighter. He ran beside her.

The last mii sprinted near the princess, and Lucina was eager to smash the sword into her. "You will not stop me!"

The blue warrior unleashed a sweep of her Falchion upward, hitting the mii and sending her in the air. Lucina urged Mega Man to complete the mission, he hopped up; ready to use his slash claw and end the match.

Unfortunately, he could not achieve the desired result.

It was sudden; lightning had struck the Blue Bomber, leading him to collapse. His ally's face panicked; Lucina pushed her speed to catch the injured robot as he fell down. Pikachu had intruded on their hunt, and nodded at Villager to quickly take out their prey before the other team recovered. The fighting mayor smirked at the result, their trick worked. He pulled a weed from the ground, pounding it at the landing mii fighter.

 _Tough luck._

One hit and the fighter was out, the match ended.

 _ **GAME!**_

.

 _ **"The winners for this round of the Doubles One Hundred Multi-Man Smash are — Villager and Pikachu!"**_ called out the announcer, highlighting the results of the challenge. Both Villager and Pikachu were shown in their victory poses, declared as the winners.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" hollered Pit when the results arose on the television screen, the other fighters had solemn looks. "That's not fair! They cheated!"

"Idiot. You're allowed to steal KO's," grumbled Dark Pit at the angel who pretended to sob. "They won whether you like it or not."

"What a match," Falco remarked.

"Yeah, that last KO was crazy," Fox admitted, scratching his ears.

"Poyo..." Kirby mumbled.

Robin closed his eyes and sighed at Lucina and Mega Man's loss, feeling defeated himself. _I suppose the teamwork arrived too late._

"Oh what a shame," Marth said in disappointment. "I was hoping for Lucina and Mega Man to win, they were doing so well until the end."

"Yeah, but the other team had to pull that move!" Pit whined, pouting. "Poor Mega Man, the guy almost had it. At least, it's a good thing Lucina came to his rescue."

By those words Dark Pit glared at his light counterpart. "Yet, it took a whole lot of convincing for a _clone_ to get that robot fighting alongside her."

Marth surprisingly turned to the dark angel, trying to decipher what he heard. "Pardon?"

"Oh right, you came in after the lecture Lucina gave Mega Man," Dark Pit muttered at the puzzled Altean prince.

"What lecture?"

"Oh, it wasn't a bad one. But it did solidify my belief that your descendant's partner _isn't_ a good match for her."

"What?"

"Alright, that's it!" a voice boomed from the library's doors. Male Wii Fit Trainer furiously zoomed at the group, who were startled by his appearance. He was tired of all the noise he heard from his studio. "Showtime is over! I'm trying to run a yoga session and you all are yelling like a bunch of hooligans!"

"What the hell?!" Dark Pit cried at his arrival. "Go back to your yoga, fitness man!"

"YOU!" Wii Fit Trainer screeched at the Star Fox, ignoring Dark Pit's words. "I thought you were supposed to shut these guys up!"

"Hey, why are you yelling at me?!" Fox screeched back. He pointed at the other Smashers who accompanied him. "They got carried away too!"

"Arghhhhh!"

Seeing that the event was over; the fighters broke away from the group. Pit and Falco immediately departed the library for more training, while Dark Pit walked off. Marth swiftly followed him, longing to continue what Dark Pit told him prior. The prince craved for more clarification. Kirby, Samus, and Robin went after him, leaving an uneasy Fox dealing with a furious Wii Fit Trainer.

"Dark Pit, a moment!" Marth called out. The black winged angel huffed at the prince wanting his attention.

"What is it?"

"May I ask, what exactly do you mean that Mega Man is not a good match for Lucina?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Dark Pit spat, crossing his arms. "If you saw the match from the beginning, you would have seen how faulty the team was. Lucina had to give a damn _speech_ for that robot to work with her. I always hear claims that Mega Man is such an amazing hero, but I don't buy it. That guy spills more trouble for Lucina than you think. She should have never entered the tournament."

"But they managed to get their teamwork in by the end," Robin argued.

"That doesn't cut it, Tactician."

He walked off, leaving a frowning Avatar and a puzzled prince. The suspicions rose once again, and Samus stumbled upon it. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes..." Robin murmured at the bounty hunter. "...and I'm going to find out what it is." He turned back to his table with Kirby, and Samus was left in inquiry. She felt need to speak with the tactician more about it, but she stopped herself and left the library with Marth. Perhaps, she could find answers on her own.

* * *

"And that ends the practice of _One Hundred Doubles Multi-Man_ challenge," announced the Mii Gunner who arrived at Big Battlefield, meeting with the two teams. "Be sure to join next week to enjoy the full game! Also, congrats to Villager and Pikachu for winning this match!"

"Will do," Villager said happily. "And thanks!" Pikachu chanted his name in delight, but when he looked at the other team — his happiness faded.

Lucina had released her mask — her hands grasped on her teammate. "Are you hurt, Mega Man?" she asked worriedly.

The robot slightly opened his eyes, grunting. "I'll be fine, Prin — Lucina."

The other team approached them with slight sorrow. Villager decided to speak up for some consolation. "I'm sorry for what happened, but the rules say you can steal knock outs from the other team."

"Pika..." Pikachu mumbled.

"No, all is well," Lucina replied, her hands clutching on her ally. "Congratulations on winning."

Villager could not tell if what she said was a compliment or not, regardless he trailed off with his partner. "Just do better next time, you guys have potential."

.

They had left the arena; and the blue duo said no word to each other. While they managed to cooperate midway through, it was not adequate to secure a win. Lucina was despondent over the loss; the princess hoped they would not accede to this.

Meanwhile, Mega Man was not any better. Like Lucina, he did not want to bear a loss. He tried to keep positive by reassuring they were still in the beginning stages of prep. There was plenty of time left to change direction, so he looked at the bright side of things — Lucina's performance throughout the challenge came to mind. He did not think his partner had such amazing will power and the capability to sweep him away from those startling thoughts. The rescue, the encouraging speech, the mask... a new side of his royal partner emerged. Her conduct was something he began to appreciate; the robot sought to convey it but found difficult to compose into words.

Regardless, he had to say something. "Pri — Lucina?"

"What is it, Mega Man?" the princess asked softly, putting aside her melancholic feelings and walking toward the Smash Mansion's entrance.

"I — how can I put this into words..."

"Does it involve what I said back at the event?"

"Yes," the robot admitted. "Well, it's more than that. Lucina, you were _amazing_ throughout the challenge _._ You even knocked some sense into me with that speech of yours. I'm sorry that my rude behavior prior caused trouble. You're absolutely right; we're supposed to be a team. I guess I wasn't thinking straight."

Lucina stopped in her tracks and faced Mega Man who was admitting something. "Go on."

The blue android sighed to reveal more. "Well, I have been feeling lightheaded."

"Lightheaded? About what if I may be so bold to ask?"

"A few things. Since this morning, my processor has been shrouded with doubts..."

"Why is that?"

Mega Man laughed uneasily; not aiming to dig deeper into these problems. "I'm not so sure myself."

Lucina's face became skeptical, was something lying underneath all this? "Did something happen earlier before the challenge?"

The Blue Bomber gulped from hearing her question, Lucina's face was serious — it was difficult to keep eye contact.

"Speak Mega Man," Lucina demanded, her eyes glaring at her nervous partner. The poor boy broke out sweat, feeling his gears twist and trembled lightly.

Witnessing that she may be intimidating the robot to express himself, Lucina knelt down to his level. Her face relaxed to avoid a frightening appearance. "Do not be afraid, I am willing to listen."

Her reassurance, it soothed Mega Man slightly. Alas, it was not enough for him to let the words out. The blue metal hero did not want to bother the princess with fickle concerns. Especially after what she had done for him during the challenge, it grew more difficult to speak his mind. He identified a temporary solution to free himself from the sticky situation. Mega Man laughed it out; avoiding the problems again. "Actually, I was just nervous about our first match together!"

Lucina gazed at her partner strangely. "I beg pardon?"

"You know," Mega Man said, twirling away from his ally. "It's natural to be afraid when doing something for the first time, right? That was our first battle together as a team, so I was a little scared about it!"

"Oh, well alright," Lucina spoke. "I suppose that makes sense. It was our first team battle, and usually the first ones are always so intimidating. And for a young robot such as you to feel fear — "

"Exactly. You nailed it Prin — I mean Lucina."

The Princess of Ylisse chuckled at Mega Man's constant correction of her name. "Oh, I only said that because I was in the moment. You may still address me as Princess, Mega Man."

"Okay. I hear you... Princess," Mega Man mumbled. "Again, sorry for what happened earlier. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

Lucina grinned in appreciation. "It's alright. Thank you for telling me what was wrong, I understand everything now. I had concerns."

"Yes..."

The Blue Bomber trailed off in his sentence, the princess gave him a heartwarming smile that he did not deserve. Lucina had trust in him and the android started to regret for putting the facade and avoiding truths again. Yet, he believed if he told Lucina the adverse concerns now — it would do more harm to their partnership than benefit. But he couldn't just bottle them up forever; Mega Man knew he needed to speak eventually. Their partnership was on the line. Maybe if their bond could strengthen a little more...

 _I'm sorry, Princess._ Mega Man thought. _In the meantime, just bear with me._

"May I ask that we perform some sparring in the training room? I think that could be a good form of practice, we could improve our performance for future events. Especially after that dreadful loss," Lucina inquired sweetly, she lifted herself back up. Her ally quickly nodded in approval.

"Sure. That's a great idea," Mega Man replied uneasily. "Do — you want to go for it now?"

"Actually, I would like to rest for a while. That is if you are alright with it," Lucina stated. "My body is quite sore from that challenge... maybe in about two hours from now? I will call you."

The android smiled faintly. "Sounds good, I'll be waiting... Princess."

"Perfect, I will see you soon Mega Man."

From there the swordswoman faded into the mansion, but she was unaware of her partner taking off his helmet, looking at it with disgust.

.

"He-yah!"

The sun had set, and nightfall crept. From the training room, Lucina released a sequence of attacks. Mega Man attempted to avoid each one, his movements synchronized with each sweep the Falchion made.

"Not bad Princess!" he called out, averting away from swipes. "Think you can go faster?"

Lucina nodded and accelerated the pace of her sword, making her teammate go quicker. However in a single second when her sword moved down, Mega Man promptly knocked the Falchion out of her hand with an uppercut. The regalia sword shot out of reach, and it set straight down on the floor.

The princess was stupefied by the surprise attack. "What?!"

The Blue Bomber chuckled. "Didn't expect that, right?"

"I don't understand... why did you do that? I don't believe such a furtive move is permitted."

"Yeah, but always keep yourself on guard for anything Princess," Mega Man explained. "You never know what sneak attacks our opponents can do."

Lucina scurried to retrieve her sword; her partner followed her not long after. "Is the sword alright?" he asked. "I hope I didn't place a dent on it or anything."

"Do not fret Mega Man; the Falchion's blade is immune to any ravages. Nor can it ever dull or rust."

Mega Man's expression was quizzical from hearing that. "Woah, really?"

"Yes, this sword is more than just an heirloom of Ylisse — it has lived for thousands of years even before the time of the Hero King. It contains extraordinary power. This is no ordinary weapon, Mega Man. Falchion was forged by one of Naga's fangs, or so the legends say."

"Naga's fangs... I recall my database of you saying that she's a goddess, or a divine dragon of sort. Is that sword blessed?"

"Perhaps you can say that, regardless I hold this sword near and dear to my heart," Lucina answered, examining her blade. "As the spirits that inhabit this treasure select a few who can wield it."

"I see, that's interesting. I'm starting to find Ylissean lore fascinating."

"Are there divine beings in your world, Mega Man?" Lucina inquired, wondering if he was familiar with it. "Have you encountered any?"

"Well, there are established religions..." Mega Man mused. "Honestly, I'm not into that sort of stuff. As for your question, I have gone against some pretty powerful beings — like Ra Moon."

"Ra Moon? Care to enlighten me on who that is?"

"An alien supercomputer. Let's just say that one day, Dr. Wily decided to tamper with it for his own needs and things went bad..."

"I assure that Mega Man came in and saved the day?" Lucina teased lightly.

The Blue Bomber smirked while the princess giggled. "Well, you wouldn't be wrong."

"Moving on, any new analysis you have for me?" Lucina asked, hoping for anything.

"Oh. Not much Princess," Mega Man answered. "All I have to say is that you like to attack aggressively than space. Also, I'm a more of a zoning type of guy with projectiles. I suggest if we go against a team that has reflectors, you take on the fighter that has them. It saves me the trouble in dealing with that fighter."

"Alright, I shall take that into consideration."

"Thanks, and it's getting late. Want to call it a day? We've been here for a few hours, I'm sure you want to rest after everything."

"If my ally insists on it, then I will not argue," Lucina declared, putting the Falchion back in its sheath. "Tomorrow is a new day."

Mega Man nodded. "Now, before we wrap up — anything you have in mind for us to do tomorrow?"

"Actually I do," the Princess of Ylisse announced, handing Mega Man back one of the fliers he had given her. "I was looking at the events you gave me and this particular one caught my interest. How about we participate in this? I think this challenge could assist us on our teamwork — we may have a chance to actually _fight_ another team."

.

"Dark Pit, a moment of your time?"

The dark angel groaned, this was the second time today someone stopped him; and the request came from no other than Robin.

"I know it's you Tactician," he muttered, his back facing Robin. "Look if it involves what happened earlier at the library, you can just drop it."

"I am sorry Dark Pit, but I refuse," Robin asserted, not surrendering easily. "Based on everything you said at the library, I sense that there is something _you_ know about Mega Man the rest of us are unaware of."

Listening to this assumption, Dark Pit finally turned and smirked. "Heh, what makes you say that?"

The Avatar darted his eyes at the black angel, tension rose. "You seem to have a vendetta against him, and there must be a motive as to _why_. If reasons to it backs up your claim that Mega Man poses a _threat_ to Lucina, I would like to know."

Suddenly Dark Pit started to laugh; the Avatar said nothing about it and allowed it to happen. Once the angel stopped laughing, all direct contact went back to Robin. "Hah, does that mean you are worried about Lucina's partner being the Blue Bomber? I thought you'd be one of the guys who would support him."

Robin closed his eyes. "Frankly, I have no ill feelings toward Mega Man. In fact, I always considered him a kind fighter with a strong sense of justice. However, what you said at the library brings me some concerns. As a close friend and ally of Lord Chrom and the Shepherds, it is also my duty to _protect_ his daughter. That is one promise I made to him before I departed with Lucina to this world."

"Damn, you _are_ taking what I said very _seriously_. What if Lucina walks in and hears that you think her partner could be bad? You wouldn't want to ruin her chances for the tournament, right?"

Robin sighed, having to repeat his stand point. "Again, I have nothing against Mega Man. I just want to make sure everything is safe. Whatever you have against him, I doubt it's anything serious — but I want to make sure."

"And if it _is_ serious?"

There was no response, the only thing Dark Pit caught were Robin's eyes dulling.

Dark Pit sighed, with the Avatar being so protective and adamant — he might as well tell him. Otherwise Robin would never leave him alone. "Alright, alright. How about tomorrow morning we discuss more about this? It's late and I want to sleep. That alright with you?"

Robin nodded in approval. "Very well, I suggest meeting at my place at dawn before Lucina wakes or before Mega Man arrives. Gods if he randomly appears on this floor again like he did this morning. So we have to take caution."

"Huh, weird."

"Well, that's in the past. I'll see you tomorrow morning Dark Pit," Robin waved, and went in his room. He felt a little relieved now that he would talk to the angel about his concerns.

Meanwhile, Dark Pit rubbed his temples and headed to his establishment. "Just what am I getting myself into..."

As he faded into the hall, a hidden bounty hunter left her position and headed out through the floor's doors.


	6. Chapter 5

_**Salutations Reader! It has been a month since Blue's last update, but fret not, this story is still alive! I'd like to apologize for keeping you waiting, silly silly Chariot! I had an episode of writer's block and a bunch of other issues happening — but I'm passed that now.**_

 _ **However, I do have an announcement to make regarding my stories: E**_ _ **xpect slow updates.**_ _ **Yes, not very exciting news... but when you are entering your second year studying at a higher education institution — consider your time insulated. Despite that, I will try my best to not make updates stagnate... maybe one chapter per month? I really don't want to leave this project hanging because it has been so much fun to write throughout the summer, this story has a long way to go... my schedule for fall semester is looking packed. Time management, ay.**_

 _ **Regardless, please enjoy reading the first half of Day Three for our Blue Bomber and Princess of Ylisse. And as a fun tidbit (Mega Man fans might appreciate this),**_ _ **Mega Man Legacy Collection**_ _ **is out! So after reading if you want to play some classic Mega Man, go out and indulge yourself in the challenge. Fire Emblem fans, I know**_ _ **The Binding Blade**_ _ **is coming out for Wii U virtual console (but in Japan only, I wish Nintendo would localize the older FE games) but there's**_ _ **Fire Emblem Fates**_ _ **in 2016. Finally to everyone else... Happy Reading!**_

* * *

 **5**

 _Day Three – Morning to Midday_

* * *

It was a beautiful morning, but he did not take time to admire it.

Robin's attention was shifted to more... important matters. The evidence was there, launching out coffee in the morning with an electrical appliance he was given by a Smasher called a coffee machine. It was a quick and efficient tool; the tactician was impressed by how it brewed out coffee in just a few minutes. If anything, he would love to tell Chrom about it. If such electrical appliances would arrive to Ylisse, they would revolutionize the kingdom forever.

Once the machine expressed the desired smell of coffee, Robin turned it off and was ready to pour it in a mug. As he was about to take out the carafe from the machine, a knock pressed upon his door. The Avatar smirked, aware of whom it could be. There was only one person he desired to see, for he arranged a very important meeting at this hour. He left the maker and opened his door, greeting who approached him in a quiet tone. He told the guest to come in and Dark Pit sat in one of his cushions, across from Robin's own private chair. The angel flexed his wings and yawned when he heard the door close.

"This is being done later than I thought."

The tactician chuckled; he offered Dark Pit coffee as a welcome. "Want some?"

"Yeah, sure."

He was handed the drink and took a sip as Robin went to pour his own. "So, sleep well?" Dark Pit asked.

"I did," Robin said, sitting next to him with his own drink. "Did you?"

"Sort of, I forgot to give Viridi those books... and she wasn't happy about it. I have to visit her later today."

"Did she keep you up all night?" Robin laughed.

Dark Pit's eyes dulled as he scratched his head. "Not really, actually I was more concerned about this meeting."

Robin furrowed his eyebrows on hearing this. Dark Pit had _concerns?_ "How so? Yesterday you had no issue in expressing your sentiments on Lucina's team at the library. Someone was bound to question it, so why worry?"

"Didn't think someone would ask," Dark Pit admitted. "I thought my opinions would be ignored and that was it."

Robin frowned at that silly statement. "Not when you were talking so badly about my friend's ally and drew vexing claims about him being a threat. You brought this on yourself."

"Alright, alright I get it," Dark Pit muttered at Robin's criticism. "No need to chastise me for it — or maybe... I did want someone to listen..."

"Hmm?"

"So you want to continue where we left at last night... regarding Mega Man," Dark Pit declared, ignoring Robin's confusion and moving on to the central issue.

"That is _why_ I arranged this meeting," Robin answered, despite Dark Pit's vagueness in his previous comments. "Yes."

"You sure you want to do this? Won't it cut your team prep with Kirby? Where is the little guy anyway?"

"I already consulted with Kirby about training. He is alright it will commence a little later than usual," answered Robin. "Everything is settled, I made sure."

Dark Pit huffed, he had hoped his questions would cause stalling or the meeting to drop... but the Avatar was always ahead. There were no excuses; he had to go with it. Dark Pit began the discussion. "Well, let me ask you something first."

"Go ahead."

"Your general opinion of Mega Man is what again?"

"A fighter with a strong sense of justice. That is what he embodies," Robin replied, driving this discussion on course. "Am I wrong?"

"That's what he resembles from the surface," Dark Pit affirmed. "Ever thought he can be _more_ than that?"

"I don't know him well enough to think about that. Mega Man is generally foreign to me, but I do know that Pit is a friend of his. So I'm sure you have much more information about Mega Man since you are Pit's doppelganger of sort."

Dark Pit let out a snort. "Believe me; Pit idolizes that guy so much... it makes me sick."

"Sick?"

"When Mega Man first arrived here, that annoying angel couldn't shut his damn mouth about him. Good luck when you bring Mega Man up for discussion, he will jump right at it."

"Alright, but there has to be more than just idolization," Robin said, waiting for more depth into this talk. "I want to know _why_ you deem Mega Man as a bad character, and _why_ you think he poses a threat to Lucina. You're not answering those questions, Dark Pit."

"Hold your horses, I'm getting to it," Dark Pit halted at the Avatar who was getting ahead of himself. "What I said earlier was more of a pet peeve of mine. Anyways, moving on... you don't see Mega Man as more than just a 'Fighter with a strong sense of justice'. Fine by me, I expected it. However, unlike you and others, my perception on that robot is quite different."

"Okay, now please explain your _perception."_

"The way I see it, Mega Man does more harm than benefit, and not just for Lucina... but possibly for this world in general."

"How? Why?"

Dark Pit's eyes narrowed once he saw the Avatar's antsy face when he threw those questions. The tone of Robin's voice was anxious; the tactician required warranted answers from Dark Pit. Robin felt Lucina's safety was on the line thanks to Dark Pit's critical remarks. Mega Man was one of the most respected and admired fighters of Smash, what could a courageous robot hero possibly have that would make him look so bad?

The next statement Dark Pit made did not ease Robin's dread and his expression was strained.

"He's a war machine."

.

Lucina stretched her legs, relaxing her body on the upcoming event she and her partner had signed up for the morning. Along with three other teams, the blue duo waited for the event to begin and stood on the field of an expansive floating island. The Princess of Ylisse was overjoyed when Mega Man agreed to participate in one of the tournament's practice events she offered last night. It was called _Doubles Smash Run,_ and Lucina's ally sat next to her. Mega Man attentively looked at the princess stretching herself while he sipped from an Energy tank.

"I see Wii Fit Trainer must have given you some lessons," he joked lightly.

"I've gone to her classes a few times, and they are quite efficient. You should try them sometime Mega Man," Lucina suggested softly, stretching her arms.

"Thanks, but working out isn't necessary."

Suddenly, Lucina took hold of one of Mega Man's arms. She wiggled it as she examined, arguing on his reply. "Are you sure? This looks scrawny."

Mega Man gazed at Lucina comically, viewing her statements odd. He set his can down and stood up. "You underestimate my strength, Princess."

"Am I?" Lucina inquired, she tensed up when the robot approached her.

"Yes, allow me to demonstrate."

The next move he made was unexpected and immediate; the swordswoman could not let a word escape due to it. Instead, the only thing she was able to emit was a mortified face when Mega Man lifted her up in his arms.

The robot beamed tenderly once he tightly secured Lucina in his grip. "Comfortable?"

The image of a fool was the last thing Lucina wanted to depict. For the Princess of Ylisse, it was considered taboo to demonstrate a poor portrait of her character! The blue haired warrior's face flushed with red both of embarrassment and shame by the action Mega Man committed. Much to Lucina's dismay, the other teams stared at them weirdly. Indeed, the princess had undermined Mega Man's abilities — and this was the outcome. The fact that he had to _carry_ her to prove it was awkward enough.

 _Oh woe is me!_ she thought. _I have made a fool out of myself!_

Mega Man was not ignorant on Lucina's red face that he inquired on it. "Princess? Are you feeling okay?"

"I — I — I..." Lucina stammered while trying to keep eye contact on the Blue Bomber. She could not believe they were in this predicament, she even noticed that his arms were in fact, _toned._ From seeing that she submitted to Mega Man's claim. "...Oh gods, you are strong!"

Mega Man nodded; pleased he had proven the princess wrong. "Mm-hm, and you're so lightweight! I guess because I have lifted much heavier things in the past nothing fazes me anymore."

"M — "

"I can also grab someone with just one arm, but I mostly do that when I'm in combat. You're my partner, so I believe this would be more appropriate."

"I — s — suppose..."

 _"Attention all teams! The practice Smash Run event will begin momentarily! Please proceed to your designated areas!"_ called out Master Hand who hosted this event. " _Recall that this is just practice for the actual event next week, so don't be hard on yourselves if you fail. Even so do your best! Good luck to all of you!"_

"Hear that? That's our cue," said Mega Man confidently. He ended their strength debate by gently placing the flustered princess down. "Let's get to it, Princess."

As he walked away Lucina stood her in position, still feeling completely flustered. _That was... awkward,_ she thought, trying to shake off what had happened. _I didn't think he would be so capable — must he use me for him to weightlift?_ By those musings, she frowned — feeling disrespected.

 _That was... completely uncalled for! And he just puts me down like it was nothing! I — I'm speechless..._

When Mega Man did not sense the presence of his partner walking with him, he stopped and turned back. "Lucina?"

The Princess of Ylisse heard her name and looked up at her partner who made a beckoning sign. She ran, having to put her feelings aside. "Oh, I'm coming!"

"Got your customs equipped? Items? Powers? " inquired Mega Man to Lucina as they ran to their destination.

"Yes," Lucina replied. "Our mission is to defeat the enemies in this labyrinth, right?"

"Yeah, and collect as many boosts, trophies, and items as we can. Once that's done we have the final game. Think of it as a normal _Smash Run_ , just with more fighters you have to compete against, especially since we're all in teams."

"I'm curious... how will this event work with more fighters on board than the usual runs?"

"It's Master Hand. He's full of surprises, although I wouldn't be shocked if Crazy Hand created this event, Master is just hosting it."

"Makes sense," Lucina said, almost arriving at their chamber of the labyrinth. "I hope all goes well for us."

"It will," Mega Man assured. "We won't lose this time. I'll make sure of it."

When the two finally reached the chamber, it was dead quiet. The silence alone made Lucina and Mega Man suspicious of their surroundings and unleashed their weapons with caution. They stuck close; each step they made around was with care.

Until a kritter lunged himself at the two, he spun around rapidly and the blue duo separated by dodging the attack. The enemy had missed, but as his feet hit the floor; he whistled his comrades for help. A couple of enemies were wandering around, once they heard the whistle, the came to the sight. The foes detected the presence of the blue duo, and charged at them, expressing the start of the event.

.

"A... war machine?"

Robin had echoed Dark Pit's words, only it was more haunting. The tactician listened what he said of Mega Man loud and clear, while Dark Pit sighed at Robin's response.

"It seems I have no need to repeat myself."

"No, but care to clarify?" Robin inquired; he was incredulous to the claim... seeing that wars had plagued his very own home. What was the link between the Blue Bomber and war?

"Gladly, I'm sure what Viridi told me is going to help refine our discussion."

The sentence threw Robin off guard; not comprehending what the Goddess of Nature had part in this. "What?"

Dark Pit closed his eyes, inducing himself to explain. "Viridi once said about humans being fueled by selfish desire, and are inclined to destroy the Earth due to it. They are tarnishing the natural balance of our world; with machines like Mega Man existing... it could escalate further."

"How in Naga's name... that doesn't make sense. You and Mega Man are from _different_ worlds," Robin disputed. "How does Mega Man's existence influence what occurs in your world?"

"True, he isn't from my world... but much like his world and others they have one thing in common: the human race. There are no differences between the humans of Skyworld and the humans from other worlds. They're all powered by desire and greed, and cause nothing but havoc in their respective realms... or so that's how Viridi sees it."

Robin nodded in understanding, urging Dark Pit to continue. "Alright, go on."

"The only difference is Mega Man's world is more industrialized. However, I wouldn't be surprised if my world ends up becoming more modernized and develops technological advances. It's not an implausible concept because humans managed to achieve such advances in other worlds — look at Captain Falcon's."

"Depends on how intelligent the humans are in yours, just because they're called humans doesn't mean they are exactly the same species of human that reside in other worlds."

"Yet they have something in common, you humans look all alike anyway."

"Now you're just throwing theories, you have no proof."

"Heh, always trying to find ways to win a debate," Dark Pit snickered at the heat Robin was taking. "You truly are an ingenious tactician... I was not lied to when I was told your strategies were unmatched."

Robin glared at the so called 'compliment' Dark Pit gave him. "Aren't you part of the Forces of Nature?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"From what I know, its original intention was to wipe out the human race of your world," Robin replied sternly.

Dark Pit simply nodded, inclining himself to the truth. "Yes, because of the reasons I stated before — humans are selfish and cause destruction. I joined because Viridi and I have overlapping interests and it could mutually benefit us."

"Right, but how does Mega Man play into all this?"

"Like I said, humans are able to create technological advances... and it's all thanks to their destructive nature. It's because of them that Mega Man exists; do you know the purpose of machines like him?"

"You mentioned earlier about him being a war machine; please enlighten me more on that."

.

Mega Man dashed across a wooden floor of a chamber; enemies in his way were blown off by his cannon. Some were knocked into other enemies causing a chain reaction of fallen foes. A plethora of stat boosts were dropped, and the robot absorbed each and every one. A treasure chest had appeared, the Blue Bomber went to open it.

"Watch out!" warned Lucina as she slashed away a hammer bro, she sensed a zuree creeping up on her ally. Covered in floating mist to conceal itself, the foe quietly stalked Mega Man. Once its target was in reach, the foe unleashed its claws to swipe the robot. However, Mega Man had heard Lucina's warning and rolled away before the claws could scrape him.

"Nice try!" he cried, blasting the enemy from behind. Weakened, the zuree was thrown on the floor by the blast. As it tried to recover, Lucina jumped down to seize and kill it. The enemy was met with the Falchion and was destroyed in seconds, allowing the princess capture the rewarding boosts that came with it.

"Alright!" Mega Man praised to the princess with a thumbs up. "We're doing good Princess; I believe we cleared all the enemies in this area."

Lucina grinned softly at the compliment. "Yes — !"

Grim music suddenly played, and the princess turned to see a giant horned skull coming in their direction. It was an orne, and Lucina's movement numbed. Yet, Mega Man took hold the princess' hand in panic and rushed away, this foe was almost impossible to kill. "Run!"

"R — right!"

.

"Thanks to that Pit-stain and his lore, I learned from him that Mega Man was originally a lab assistant called Rock. One day, some rival scientist took hold his creator's other inventions and planned to use them to take over the world," Dark Pit told Robin, who listened closely.

Robin added on, "Then what?"

"Well, not wanting that to happen Rock's creator... upgraded his assistant into a fighting robot and sent him to fight off the scientist. Thus, Rock became Mega Man with the mission of 'saving the world' from that crazy guy."

"That doesn't seem like a bad thing."

"It isn't — but how he did it is questionable..."

Robin's face once again returned to unease, he clenched his coffee cup. "What... happened?"

As the blue duo ran away from the orne, a Pokémon by the name of Petilil released sleep powder to hinder their escape. Mega Man had inhaled the purple dust and went into sleep mode, alluding to Lucina to smash her sword at the grass type and it slung away. The princess quickly picked up her dozing partner and ran in alarm. "Damn it!"

Unfortunately Lucina was met with a horde of enemies. A roturett spun around and pointed its cannons the princess, shooting out lasers. The blue warrior attempted to evade each one while she struggled to keep balance due to the extra weight Mega Man placed on her. However, the skeletal foe was not the only impediment Lucina had to face. A small horde of Nutskis flitted at her, causing her to lose her balance and slip — yet the collision to the ground was enough to wake Mega Man up.

"Wha... Princess!"

"We have to leave this area!" Lucina forewarned at the android, pulling him up and holding her sword to block out any projectiles aimed at them. "The orne is upon us!"

Mega Man blinked, eyes darting around for an opening into another chamber his team could escape into. He then saw a door floating above a few platforms. In the midst of all this chaos and stuck within enemy territory, he gripped his ally's hand and the two hopped on the platforms to reach the door. As they inclined in, more enemies went after them, shooting out lasers, ice, or thunder to impale them. The duo has no choice but to attack their obstacles if they were to reach the door, and they did.

The eerie music returned again... signaling the orne's appearance, Mega Man rapidly summoned a helpful ally as result.

"Beat! Fly us to that door, quick!"

The robotic bird chirped and flew to his aid. Mega Man took hold of one his talons, while he told Lucina to not release his hand. "Hang on, Princess."

The blue warrior gulped and closed her eyes as the bird transported her and Mega Man the door. Once there, Beat dropped the two and disappeared — which almost lead Lucina to scream until the door sucked the two in. They landed on a hard platform and met with a small task to complete, breaking the crystals that stood upon them. The princess and robot nodded at each other to start it and hit the crystals before the timer would end. Otherwise, the stat boots would never be opened. Shots and slashes plundered throughout the room, so much that the crystals showed cracks from the amount of damage being given.

"Keep at it Lucina!" Mega Man encouraged, releasing a hyper bomb and chucking it one of the crystals. The explosion it created caused one to shatter; Lucina traveled across the other two crystals with the Falchion slicing.

 _We can do this!_ She thought confidently. _If we can retrieve the stat boots here, we can reach the next chamber, defeat more enemies and have perfect stats to use for the final battle! We shall not fail!_

* * *

"Mega Man was not only sent to fight the mad scientist... but he had to _kill_ off those robots that were under his control," Dark Pit remarked. "Once Mega Man defeated each one, he would salvage their powers and use them against any opponent that dared messed with him. He killed off his own kind, just so he could defeat a stupid scientist."

"That..." Robin trailed off in his sentence; ambiguous memories of the Grima war touched his conscious. He felt sympathy for the robot as his actions mirrored similar incidents. "...you said that the robots were under the scientist's control, perhaps — Mega Man had no other choice? I don't think he did it because he _wanted_ to, he must have been _programmed_ to. His mission was to save his world from that mad scientist, and... unfortunately, some warriors have to commit extremes to fulfill their objective."

"Is that so? Then how come Pit told me his ultimate goal is to achieve _peace_ between his kind and humans? What peace can exist if the robot had to go through extreme measures such as destruction to affirm such goals? He seems no different than the scientist because they both used heinous methods to meet their objective."

"But — "

"I'm not finished," Dark Pit interrupted at the Avatar, Robin hesitantly closed his mouth. "Since you brought up the point that Mega Man was registered to destroy the other machines — then it's clear he is working under the ideals of his creator. By that logic, his creator is just as the same as the other scientist if he programmed Mega Man to use nefarious practices to 'save the world'."

Robin made no comment after that pause, and thus Dark Pit continued.

"See? Humans are selfish creatures with desires; Mega Man is just part of bigger scheme... power struggles between two scientists using technology to extend their influence. Even after Mega Man 'saved the world', that scientist returned again with machines of his own. And guess what that robot's creator did as a response? He allowed Mega Man to use those practices, over and over. The rest of the world would suffer by the amount of destruction they launched at each other with the machines. It's a competition to the top. There is _nothing_ heroic about Mega Man and unlike everyone else who kisses his ass, I refuse. It's pathetic that that fighters respect a damn pawn that was created to satisfy human greed."

"So is that it? That's _why_ you dislike Mega Man?"

"If it is... do you see that as a _problem?_ "

The Avatar used his facial expression to dictate the answer to Dark Pit's question, which consisted of a glare. "I think you are blowing things out of proportion."

"Or perhaps you have never looked things differently," Dark Pit disputed with a glare of his own.

"You also have not answered the question on how Mega Man poses a _threat_ to Lucina. You just explained your viewpoint on him."

"Which gave insight on _why_ I think he isn't that great of a guy as people say he is," Dark Pit interjected. "That's part of the set of questions you wanted answered originally."

Robin prepared himself to throw at Dark Pit with more questions and debate. "Alright I got that, but where is the threat? Where's the evidence that Mega Man is dangerous to the princess? Based on everything you said, it just seems like dismal outlook and poor judgment of him. I fail to see what is wrong with Mega Man when he did was he was told, and it was for the greater good. That scientist was planning to conquer his world for evil purposes; of course he had to use force to stop it. And if Mega Man was programmed, his creator had used him with good intentions. This is going nowhere, I'm starting to view your little fit yesterday as redundant and attention seeking."

.

Lucina rolled herself away from a giant red bulborb that aimed to munch at her. Its teeth missed her cape, while Mega Man launched out shadow blade to hit off any foes that came at him and the Princess. As the weapon returned to him, Lucina lunged Falchion with fast swipes to finish them off permanently. Her partner collected the boosts that were left by them as the bulborb stomped in anger.

"Ugh, how does Captain Olimar deal with this creature?!" Lucina complained at the red spotted animal hurtling at them. She tried to get away, but the creature whammed at the princess. To avoid her knockback, Mega Man sprinted to catch her... when Lucina was met in his arms; the duo fell.

"I got you!" Mega Man reassured, the princess aimed to express gratitude but the duo rose up shortly to fight back the monster upon them.

Dark Pit was met with a fierce stare once the Avatar concluded his speech. Robin started to feel this conversation was all for naught, perhaps there were no problems with Mega Man... at least anything _perilous._ What the angel had said mostly seemed... _personal._

However, Dark Pit was not finished just yet.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't be so convinced," he mumbled. "Guess, you're starting to see this as all a waste, huh?"

"Truth be told... yes," Robin replied. He looked at the clock on the wall, it was almost noon. "I am sorry."

"Don't be." The doppelganger went out of his chair, approaching the door and opening it. "I guess that's it for this meeting, I'll let you go back to your training..."

He ended his movements, with his back turned at the Avatar. "...unless you want to hear _one more_ thing... I have on the Blue Bomber."

.

"Mega Man, now!" Lucina commanded, urging her partner to finish the bulborb she weakened with her sword. The blue android jumped at the request and began to charge up his Mega Buster, the bulborb — while in great harm from the attacks inflicted, utilized all its energy to run and smash against its raiders. Alas, the creature was slow and Mega Man freed his charge shot from his cannon... blasting it off and boosts were dropped. The robot scurried to take the items as Lucina wiped out any other incoming enemies.

"Time is running out!" the Blue Bomber warned to his ally, in taking the final boost. "I have been keeping track and this is almost over!"

"Is that so? Well, then — we shall fight until the very end!" Lucina called out, down smashing opponents. Her Falchion swept out and in, knocking out foes on the surface. However, one survived as it hid under a yellow helmet. The princess squinted to see if an hidden enemy was beneath, but her partner took hold of it before she could react.

"Long time no see," he muttered at the Met in his hand, then slammed it to receive its powers.

"A foe from your world?" Lucina asked, seeing that Mega Man seemed familiar with it.

"Yeah they are — duck!" Mega Man yelled, the princess obeyed by going down and he summoned his flame sword to hit a flage which almost slashed at his ally.

"Allow me!" Lucina added, smashing Falchion down to finish the enemy.

 _ **Five.**_

"Good work Lucina!" Mega Man complimented again. "But —" He then dodged another kritter lunging at them. " — we still have some problems here!"

 _ **Four.**_

Yet Lucina would not allow such obstacles to hit them, she unleashed Falchion again toward the kritter. "Hah!"

 _ **Three.**_

"Too slow!" Mega Man yelled at an enemy lakitu, unleashing air shooter. Lucina swept by to end the enemy by curving down her Falchion.

 _ **Two.**_

"Get the remaining stat boosts quick!" Mega Man authorized at his partner, she made no hesitation to obey his request.

 _Almost time!_ Lucina thought.

 _ **One.**_

 _We shall prevail!_

 _ **TIME!**_

The first part of the Smash Run event was completed.

"Alright Princess!" Mega Man congratulated at Lucina, giving her a high five. "We did it!"

"Indeed, but we are not quite finished yet Mega Man," Lucina reminded, yet returning the friendly gesture with her hand.

"Of course not, now let's count up our boosts and head over to the final part!"

.

When Dark Pit said those enticing words about Mega Man to Robin, the tactician could not help but want to hear about this final word. "What is it?"

"I just want to say my final thoughts... there _is_ good reason why Lucina should be careful around Mega Man..."

"Please proceed."

"Fine, I forgot to mention that there was one time where Mega Man and I were in a same match..."

Mega Man and Lucina rushed to the next and final part of the Smash Run event, waiting to see what the final task was. Was it running? Climbing? Fighting against other teams with items? Regardless, the two were determined to take the winning glory, confident after counting up the boosts they received and them being high numbers. They aimed to not fail like they did in their previous event.

When the duo arrived at the area, they and the other teams were greeted by a left gloved hand moving erratically.

 _"Well hello there..."_

"And..." Dark Pit continued. Robin sensed his voice was cautious; perceiving something eerie around. Suddenly, Robin's eyes widened as Dark Pit promptly pulled out his staff, drawing the weapon toward a blue arm cannon aimed right at them from the entrance of the room.

Dark Pit smirked at the intruder. "...I see we have company."


	7. Chapter 6

_**You thought this story was dead, did you?**_

 _ **Well you are wrong dear Reader! A chapter update for Seven Days of Blue has arrived! I'd like to apologize for making you wait so long! With college, other projects, and personal life getting in the way; this story was unfortunately put in the back burner. Fret not, I haven't forgotten this project. I know in the last author note I said I didn't want updates to stagnate, but it did... and again I apologize. **_

_**Regardless, a lot has happened since the last update... such as the inclusions of Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta in Smash! Moving on, I will warn you that this chapter is quite long, but it's crucial to the plot... so read carefully! If you are a veteran Reader; think of it as a present for waiting so patiently! If you are new to this story, well... you're in for a treat.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy this update.  
**_

* * *

 **6**

 _Day Three - Midday to Evening_

* * *

 _"Crazy, what kind of madness do you wish to implement now?"_

It was a simple, yet intense question. Crazy Hand moved to meet with his right half, the God of the Smash realm. While he displayed a calm composure, Master Hand's fingers were tentative... he was cautious since Crazy approached him on some concepts for future events. He reflected on the decision of allowing his more destructive half some control in the upcoming doubles tournament. Crazy Hand's spheres of influence were expanding within preparation for the competition. While his ideals were inviting, the more turbulent hand was gaining more authority.

At this rate, Master Hand started to doubt on whether he had say in this tournament anymore. The left hand snickered at his counterpart's reaction; truly Crazy Hand found Master Hand's response humorous.

 _"Certainly, you would like to see more..._ _ **excitement**_ _for our teams as they prepare for the doubles event, no?"_

There was an egotistical tone underneath Crazy's words, yet Master replied back. _"If it is to create benefit for the teams, then yes. The rules you placed in the amount of time they have to mobilize is just too condensed. I'm sure the Smashers participating would like events that aren't too heavy."_

 _"Hehe, but that's too soft. It wouldn't live up to the challenge, brother. We may need to push them a little harder..."_

 _"And what maddening ideas do you have? What do you want to expand for this tournament?"_

From there the God saw his brother relax his erratic fingers and chucked. Crazy Hand was pleased Master Hand was willing to listen to his cunning plans.

 _"Oh, there's an idea I have for a Smash Run event..."_

.

He waved himself at the teams who arrived to the final part of the Smash Run event. Crazy Hand tried on being welcoming, but to Mega Man and Lucina he looked problematic. They both sensed that something was in store, while Crazy could not help but quietly sneer at their skeptic reactions.

 _The Blue Bomber and the Princess of Ylisse,_ he thought, chortling to himself. _An interesting pair for this tournament indeed..._

"So Crazy Hand was behind this all along," Mega Man mumbled, he knew there was a good reason to suspect something. Lucina picked up on her partner's words and agreed with it.

 _"I suppose that is enough for a greeting,"_ Crazy Hand said at the leery teams bestowed upon him, willing to proceed. _"Now, I bet you all want to get this show on the road. So let's begin."_

He pulled out a small box and handed it to one of the teams. _"Pick one from the box,"_ Crazy gestured. One of the team members in charge of the box; the female Wii Fit Trainer, raised her eyebrow quizzically. She could not fathom the purpose of what she picked up.

"Blindfolds?" she inquired, surmising on the pieces of cloth and their function.

 _"Heh, I can see the dubious look in your eyes,"_ Crazy Hand observed, Wii Fit Trainer's uneasy expression was a giveaway. Mega Man's eyes narrowed; whatever Crazy planned for the event — was delirious.

The hand signaled Wii Fit Trainer to pass the box around. _"No more but one blindfold per team,"_ he added.

When Lucina's hands grasped the box, she seized the last blindfold. The princess handed the box back to Crazy, who snickered again.

 _"Everyone has a blindfold, correct?"_ he inquired, which the teams nodded to. Crazy Hand was elated, and he brought the teams to a starting line. _"And now..._ _here is your mission."_

The attention of the teams were directed to a familiar, final battle encountered in normal Smash Runs; a horizontal scrolling stage along with danger hazards were upon their view. This led to the conclusion this final battle would invoke not just combat, but speed.

"A footrace... that's what we have to do," Mega Man concluded, inspecting his surroundings closely. He was no novice to these games.

 _"Excellent answer Mega Man,"_ Crazy Hand praised on the Blue Bomber's answer. _"It appears that you are correct... your observation skills are top notch."_

Mega Man pondered whether the left hand's eulogy on him was humble or not. He felt some mischief from the hand, and thus was incredulous that anything from him was genuine _._ Even so, Crazy Hand advanced his speech.

 _"However, I'm afraid you are only, partially right on your answer. You see, a footrace is not the only thing you teams will have to complete."_

"Then what else must we do?" Lucina asked.

 _"I'm glad you asked Princess!"_ Crazy cried with amusement. _"_ _See that blindfold you have in hand? One person in your team has to wear it, while the other will guide them to the finish line!"_

"What?!"

The attentions of the teams went to the disordered voice of the Gerudo King, Ganondorf. The mad king had an outcry at the objective of the final battle. His partner, Little Mac outlined uneasy facial features at Ganon's outrage, and attempted to relax him.

Crazy Hand laughed; seeing the displeasure. _"Doesn't it seem fun?"_

"Fun?! I did not sign up for this event with the intention of having fun, Crazy Hand!" Ganondorf yelled. "These are supposed to be side events for a fighting tournament! I expect the side games just intense as the tournament itself! How will this work?!"

 _"I would be getting to that Ganon — if you let me finish,"_ Crazy Hand replied, silencing the angry king and explaining the rules to the rest. " _Moving on, you teams are running through the course, but one will be blindfolded... and the other is the navigator. In addition, you both will have a shared stamina bar of two hundred percent. If you knock into any of the danger hazards like the lava pits, your stamina will decrease by fifty percent and be placed back at an earlier checkpoint of the course. Reach zero and you are out, also team attack is on. So, you are free to attack the other teams as you race. Don't forget that you lose stamina if you get hit by others, so be careful. Now, any questions?"_

"Hold on, how will this whole navigator business work?" Mega Man questioned, he needed clarification on this whole charade.

 _"Glad you asked. Now I want you to take this,"_ Crazy Hand replied, giving Mega Man a tether. _"You're going to clasp that onto your wrist and connect it with your partner's. Once that is done, one of you has to choose who is navigator and who will run blindly. Keep this in mind; it is important that tether stays intact throughout the entire match. If it breaks... you are out, plain and simple."_

The hand tossed the rest their own ropes. _"I'm going to give you teams a few minutes for set up,"_ he added. _"Then we can start."_ Meanwhile, Ganondorf had a better grasp on the mission at hand, but he was still displeased.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered, as Little Mac clicked the tether onto his wrist. "I came here for a challenge; not child's play."

"Well look on the bright side," Little Mac piped in. "This is somewhat of a challenge, because one of us will be blinded, and the tether must be intact for the entire race. Plus, if we get hit... our stamina decreases at a large percentage."

The Gerudo King sneered. "Feh, let's just get this over with boy. Since you collected more speed boosts throughout the first half, you will take the blind runner position."

"Alright, speed isn't really your strong suit anyway," Little Mac chuckled. "You are slow as a turtle on the battlefield — "

"What was that, human?" Ganondorf growled, a surge of fear rushed through Little Mac's body. Knowing how ruthless the Gerudo warlock was; perhaps teasing was a bad idea. He silenced himself and his partner snorted in response.

Mega Man observed the duo and chuckled. "Some alliance they have there."

"Pardon Mega Man," Lucina chimed in; aiming to move on to their objective. The Blue Bomber's attention fell on the warrior. "But we must focus on the race. Shall we choose who will be the navigator and the blind runner?"

"Oh! Right, we should get started. Hmm..."

"If it is not trouble, I would like to volunteer as the runner."

The robot ended his thinking from her proposal. "You're willing to go for it, Princess?"

"Only because I'm bit faster than you," Lucina explained. "Also, I collected plenty of speed boosts during the first half."

"Huh. That sounds reasonable, and I do know my way of getting around. I guess I'll take the navigator position..."

From there, the robot sensed unease as his sentence faded. _Great, I feel a little nervous again... well it's just a race._

"Very well, I shall take the blindfold and put it on," Lucina said, maneuvering the cloth around her eyes. "After, you can tie our wrists together with the tether and we can begin."

Mega Man nodded at the command. "Sounds like a good plan..."

"Well, this is awkward," announced Captain Olimar to his partner Lucario. The Pikmin behind circled around the astronaut while the aura Pokémon sighed at his partner's comment. Being tied together by a leash was not something they prepared for.

"Tell me about it," Lucario mumbled; tightening the blindfold on him. "I didn't think a Smash Run event would ever become so odd."

"I don't want to make assumptions, but I feel Crazy Hand is playing a bigger role for this tournament than we thought," speculated Olimar. He led Lucario to the start of the racing line. "There is more in store than just a simple, fighting competition."

"No. You're right," Lucario agreed. "I feel the same."

When Mega Man heard the conversation between the duo; he tightened the cord between his wrist and Lucina's. Based on what was said, he planned on keeping it safe. Crazy Hand was not like Master, and was suspicious of his motives. Next, he grabbed the princess' hand and led her to the starting line. Yet, Mega Man felt tremors of her palm hitting his, so he gently released... sensing anxiety. Since Lucina's eyes were sealed by the blindfold; Mega Man inspected her body language to see if she was alright.

To make sure, he imposed a question. "How are you doing?"

"A little... anxious I suppose," Lucina admitted, not even the Shepherd drills back in Ylisse made her feel weary.

"That's perfectly fine Princess," Mega Man said; he took hold of her hands to comfort. "Don't worry, you're safe with me. We'll get to the finish line in one piece."

The Ylissean warrior smiled when she felt his touch. "I have good faith that you will lead us to victory, Mega Man."

"I will not fail you... Princess," the Blue Bomber assured, gripping her hands tighter. "I will aid my ally with everything I have."

"As long as you two have a sense of trust, all should be fine," Olimar added in to the blue duo next to his team. "Princess Lucina, think Mega Man as a light guiding you to escape a dark cave."

"Or if he does fail you Princess... you might as well withdraw from the tournament and wait for the next," Ganondorf sneered as he and Little Mac approached the line. "An incompetent partner is the worst; it's a waste of time dealing someone with the inability to cooperate."

Mega Man glared at the insult he received from the Gerudo King. "Where's your integrity?"

Ganondorf laughed at the silly statement. "Foolish machine! Since when do I look like a being with morale? Have you forgotten who I am? Know your place! Also, I only speak of nothing but truths. That performance in the Multi-Man Smash event yesterday certainly doesn't help your questionable proficiency in an alliance."

The robot was speechless... had the word spread so quickly in the Smash realm about his team's loss, from yesterday?

"That's a little uncalled for, don't you think?" Olimar intervened; however, Ganondorf ignored the astronaut's inquiry as it did not concern him.

"It's said you are a warrior of legend," Ganon mocked at Mega Man. "But all I see is a poor knight's armor. I suggest you live up to your title as the Blue Bomber, machine. Especially since you won't cooperate with a double of Prince Marth; if you can't do that... then perhaps the Smash realm isn't for you."

Lucina heard Mega Man's fists clenching, the Gerudo King's words provoked slight exasperation within the android. Thus, she entered the dispute feeling the need to defend. "Ganondorf, it is not in your position to talk ill about us!"

"Oh Princess of Ylisse, joining the fray?" Ganondorf smirked, pleased that his competition were riled up. "Are you willing defend your alliance with Mega Man? Then prove to me you two are good team."

"We will," Lucina answered critically, accepting the challenge. "I will not permit this sort of behavior towards my partner any longer!"

"Heh, I expect a good performance..."

"Ganon, quit picking on them!" Little Mac cried in protest. "Enough is enough!"

The Gerudo growled at his partner's plea. "You wouldn't stoop to their level, would you?"

 _"Sorry to cut it short, but we got a race to start,"_ Crazy Hand interrupted on the dispute. _"Let's get to business!"_

From there the two teams ended their argument, and faced the course. While Mega Man still felt upset by what Ganon said, he gripped his ally's hand tighter as he was grateful for her support. _Thank you,_ he thought; enthralled at the determined princess next to him. They stepped back and entered in a sprinting position; it was then that Crazy was aware the teams were ready. With one devious flick of his fingers, the race commenced.

 _ **READY? GO!**_

.

"I see we have company."

He didn't want to believe in Dark Pit's eerie words, but Robin had no other choice. His widened eyes gave confirmation that someone was in fact, at his doorstep. However, the visitor did not display with a warm welcome; not when Dark Pit's staff was pointed at the raised gun toward them. The most disturbing aspect of the intruder was someone known...

"Mega Man?!" Robin cried in disbelief.

Dark Pit spawned a deadly scowl. "You got some nerve barging in here... Mega Man. Shouldn't you be with Lucina and prepping for that tournament? Or have you been stalking us the entire time?"

The robot said nothing. Instead, he charged up his Mega Buster; inducing Dark Pit to fire from his staff at the offender. While the shot was weak, it managed to deter Mega Man from his attack. The android was knocked into a nearby wall, and through the smoke; Dark Pit took Robin's hand to escape from the ambush. "Come on!"

As smoked cleared from area; the assailed android rose and found his targets had disappeared. He smirked at their leave. "That's right; run," he snickered. "On your way, be sure to tell my worthless clone of a partner that this is part of the prep... gotta have some _fun_ before the tournament starts."

Dark Pit flew and Robin ran; it was the only action they thought at the moment. Fear had lingered through them as they witnessed the near assault by someone they didn't expect. Well, _Robin_ didn't expect it. The Avatar was more disturbed by the attack than Dark Pit, and the black winged angel could see it in his dismayed expression.

They reached a safer area of the mansion; Dark Pit ended his flight... as Robin needed to catch breath. He breathed heavily, as he tried to process what happened.

 _I can't believe... was that... why?_

Dark Pit's eyes dulled when he saw the disheveled tactician lost in his thoughts. "Now you see why... Mega Man is a threat, Tactician?"

As Robin regained his normal breathing, he gazed at Dark Pit in denial. Yet, he desired... no, _demanded_ an answer from the black angel. Surely, he must have an idea why Mega Man tried to attack them! Everything seemed irrational! His nervous voice sputtered the words, "Dark Pit... what the hell just happened?!"

Pit's doppelganger crossed his arms. "So, now you want to listen? Alright... I just want to make this clear, this isn't the first time Mega Man has done something like that before."

Robin gulped. "It's... not?"

"Something similar happened to me not long ago. It was two weeks before the doubles tournament announcement. It was during a friendly one on one match with him..."

The angel's eyes narrowed. "Or should I call it a _friendly..._ "

"What happened?"

"I dunno, he was pretty rough during the match. Now I didn't mind that, but it escalated to the point where it was _too_ rough. It's as if it wasn't a game anymore... Mega Man wanted to obliterate me from the face of Smash. Throw in insults; some weird scarf he was wearing that day, and you got a rogue."

Dark Pit released an exasperated sigh and ranted on. "Since then, I lost second thoughts on any shred of decency he had. It was bad enough that I didn't like him... but that match was the last straw. Wanna know what Mega Man said during the match we had? That he _hates_ clones... and you saw that hostility he had toward Lucina at yesterday's event. Now you see why I was concerned, Tactician?"

Robin's face was crestfallen by such discovery. "No... this can't be... that can't be right."

"Are you seriously going to deny what I just said?!" Dark Pit yelled in frustration. He gripped his hands on Robin's shoulders and the Avatar winced from the touch.

"Did you truly have such good faith in him?! You saw what just happened!" he argued. "At this rate there's no point in denying, the cold evidence is there! Come on!"

He didn't want to look so forceful, but Dark Pit lost his patience. Even so, he didn't say a word at Robin refusing to look at him; he figured the tactician finally received the message. Robin gripped Dark Pit's hands on his shoulders, indicating him to release. When the angel did, he turned away. "I... I need a moment."

 _I... no, something is wrong here. There's no way, but... he..._

Robin was overwhelmed; his mind literally juggled with conflicting thoughts... he didn't know what to do. After the recent events, he felt lost... as if he felt _— betrayed._

 _I... I have to find Lucina._ He thought; it was the only stable idea in his mind. _I must..._

"Robin..." Dark Pit mumbled.

Suddenly, Robin sprinted away from Pit's doppelganger... Dark Pit called out his name but no avail. The tactician's expression was now firm; seeking to find Lucina.

.

Perhaps it was a wrong time to had sparred.

It was not that she forgot; no — it was on the back of her mind, but Samus also remembered a sparring session with Zelda in the morning. Thus, it stalled any investigations she started last night between Dark Pit and Robin. The session was over, and she still wasn't free as Zelda dragged her to the food court for lunch. Along the way was a conversation about the doubles tournament next week.

"Link has been training hard these past few days that I'm starting to worry," Zelda expressed uneasily to the bounty hunter. "While I know he's headstrong, he needs to relax. Even Mario expressed the same sentiment."

"He's a very hardworking man," Samus remarked; turning a different direction. "Link has a valiant drive to succeed in anything, and he hasn't won many tournaments lately. He may want to change that for this one."

"But he is working too hard," Zelda argued, and then she sighed. "I suppose that is how the wielder of the Triforce of Courage is... he has always done what he could do... for Hyrule, and now he is displaying it here..."

As Zelda's voice faded, Samus moved her eyes toward a small pink warrior sitting at a bench. However, there was something off about his expression...

Kirby was upset. While Robin told him that he would be away for the morning, he assured him that by noon they would start training. Kirby was also told to wait at the spot he was in; yet an hour had passed since noon... no sign of the tactician. Then he heard footsteps approaching in his direction; Kirby lifted his face up with delight. Perhaps Robin had finally came! Unfortunately; it was not him, and Samus saw Kirby's smile vanish.

"Oh! Good Afternoon Kirby," Zelda greeted sweetly, taking notice of the pink puff. Kirby waved; trying to grin... but he couldn't hide his disappointment.

When Samus picked up this, she approached him sternly. "Where's Robin?"

Kirby's eyes showed doubt over where his partner was... leading Samus to conclude something wasn't right. Meanwhile, Zelda blinked in surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"Zelda, head to the food court without me," Samus suddenly authorized; the Princess of Hyrule was taken aback by the command. Yet, seeing Samus' body language, particularly her back visible signaled something unsettling. Zelda was eager to question it, but she rolled back her tongue. Maybe she would find out later, so she obeyed with a quick nod. "Alright..."

Once Zelda obeyed, Samus nudged her head to the direction of the mansion to Kirby. "Let's find him."

The bounty hunter and star warrior rode on a warp star toward the mansion. They flew around it; seeking the window of Robin's room. Once found, they saw it was open. Samus commanded Kirby to fly in, and the bounty hunter hopped out of the warp star. Robin had to be in here...

She gasped at how trashed the room was; shocked at how poor it looked. Around were torn up books, furniture flipped, spilled coffee cups on the floor, and a severed door. Kirby was also horrified at the violated room, and worried for the safety of his partner. "Ah!"

"What in Naga's name?!"

The two Smashers looked up to find Marth at the entrance of the room, with his face just as horrified.

* * *

"Jump!"

The word was heard and Lucina obeyed Mega Man's command by leaping over the fire hazard. The two ran side by side; with the tether connecting the two of them closely. Slightly behind them were Little Mac and Ganon, and the Gerudo King growled at the blue duo in first place. Mega Man viewed the next obstacle on course; he ordered Lucina to leap with him over the pit and landed on the next part of the stage. The scenery changed from a grassy field to a wooden floor, followed by a few more fiery hazards.

"You're going to hear me say 'Jump' a bit more now," he warned to his partner. "There are some fire hazards around here. When I say the word, you listen... alright?"

"Yes. I am prepared," Lucina replied back, counting on him as her vision. "I trust you, Mega Man!"

"You may want to go faster... Little Mac," Ganondorf muttered at his partner being the runner. "We have a machine and a clone slightly ahead of us."

"Right!"

Just as they went over a hazard, the Gerudo warlock viewed Duck Hunt dog sprinting passed him with Wii Fit Trainer following behind. His team was knocked into third. "Those insolent — !"

The Duck Hunt duo turned to Ganon's angry face, and the dog snickered at his team being behind. This infuriated Ganon, as he felt made fun of. He yearned to run and slam that dog to the floor with his Flame Choke; imagining him and the duck in pain by the dark magic consuming them. Yet to Ganon's advantage, the animal and trainer duo ended up colliding into a hazard; sending them back to an earlier point. Ganondorf sneered at the foolish team for their great mistake. _Fools, that's what you get for ignoring what is in front of you..._

Seeing that the wooden floor was about to end, Mega Man prepared for the next action his team had to take. "Alright Lucina, leap down!" He commanded. The android and the princess went down a series of small steps and platforms; also avoiding a lava hazard at one of the walls near them. As they landed to the next part of the course, Mega Man was pleased that no scratches were done to his team. So far, everything was going well; turning the robot to confidence.

 _So far, so good. We're in the lead — !_

His positive thoughts were ruined by a projectile zooming at them. Mega Man pushed his partner away. They evaded it, and looked up to view a Monoeye floating nearby. _Smash Run enemies on the course?!_ he thought in shock. Meanwhile, he pulled Lucina up, and the princess asked why he pushed her down.

"Looks like there is more to this race than fire hazards," Mega Man muttered. Lucina was confused, due to her vision being blocked by the blindfold; she was unable to see the enemy near them.

"We need to improvise," her partner announced; his Mega Buster aiming at the Monoeye. "Crazy Hand never said anything about enemies appearing... this is some nasty trick he pulled."

"What?" Lucina asked in disbelief as Mega Man shot off the flying enemy. "Enemies on the track course?"

"Yeah, this might be harder than we thought — ah!"

The two found themselves ambushed by Ganondorf and Little Mac. With Ganon releasing a Wizard Assault and Little Mac lounging his fast punch straight, the blue duo were slammed onto the lava hazard — causing an explosion. The two re spawned back to the wooden floor; Mega Man felt his circuits heat up with anger, while Lucina cursed herself. Their stamina percentage decreased by fifty percent, and Ganon laughed deviously at the pair from below. "Pathetic! Next time pay more attention to your surroundings!"

"Uh, Ganon? We gotta move on if we wanna win," Little Mac mumbled at his partner; tugging him with his wrist by the tether connecting them.

"What are you waiting for, start running!" Ganon yelled, which drove Little Mac to continue out of fear.

"Agh... let's go, Lucina!" Mega Man called out. He and his partner jumped back down and ran after the team ahead of them. "We got to catch up, we can't lose this!"

.

"Robin is missing?!"

"That is what we assume," Samus explained to Marth the situation. They continued the search for the tactician. Kirby followed the running duo with his warp star, antsy to meet with his teammate again.

"Something must have happened to him," she continued. "Otherwise we wouldn't have found his room in such a damaged state."

"Not to the mention the hole across the entrance," Marth added worriedly, turning around a corner. "I didn't think I would come back from lunch to find vandalism in our resident hall! Our floor is generally a peaceful one!"

The bounty hunter huffed. Samus was ashamed at what happened and not attending her investigations. "I should have canceled the sparring session..."

"Sparring session?" Marth inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I had a sparring session with Zelda this morning, even though I had other plans. That was to investigate a private conversation Robin and Dark Pit were going to have on Mega Man."

"A conversation?"

"Basically to continue where they left off at the library; they scheduled it this morning at Robin's room."

"When was this?"

"Last night."

Marth wanted to inquire where Samus sustained the information from, but he stopped himself as a bigger issue was on the agenda. He continued on with the subject, "That means Dark Pit must have been with him during that time..."

"Correct," Samus affirmed.

"Are you sure that maybe the debate didn't escalate to a fight? That would explain the damaged room..."

"You forget that fighting is forbidden in residential areas," Samus reminded, shooting down the prince's possible answer. "The two are smart enough not to do that."

Marth looked at Samus with an uneasy face. "So, you're saying an outside force was probably behind this?"

"That is the most likely outcome."

"Should... should we tell Master Hand about this?"

"If we don't find Robin soon, that might be the best way to settle this."

Marth nodded, listening to Samus' suggestion. Yet he felt uncomfortable, as this whole situation was just strange. He could not pin point the circumstances, and Kirby felt upset in hearing what Marth and Samus spoke about. As they dashed out of the mansion, Samus was on high alert... eager to reach the bottom of the accident. Whatever it was, she had to dig deep into it.

 _To think the incident occurred because of a robotic boy..._

.

"Jump!" Ganondorf ordered as Little Mac leaped over a lava pit on the steps. The two ran up a large case of steps to reach the next part, but not without some trouble.

When Ganon gazed a pair of Nutskis spitting out seeds at their tether, the Gerudo used his body to protect it. Yet, he slowed down the two... and the blindfolded Little Mac asked what the problem was.

"Enough of the questions! Just keep moving!" Ganon yelled in response. Little Mac continued on the steps but found himself tripping by an untied shoelace; dragging the Evil King down with him. The Gerudo warlock lunged himself off the ground in fury from the boxer's plunge down to the floor. "What in Din's name was that, Little Mac?!"

"I'm sorry! I — !" Little Mac's sentence ended by Ganon rolling themselves away from an exploding coconut hurled at them. While they reached the top of the steps, Bonkers was waiting for them; holding his hammer mercilessly. Ganondorf cursed under his breath, distressed in having to deal with a couple of foes around his team.

"Crazy Hand, this is asinine..." he grumbled to himself, glancing around the foes and at his blindfolded ally. "You call this an event?"

He prepared his fist which became coated in dark, purple magic. "I will not bow to these wretched, lower beings."

"Enemies at twelve o'clock," Mega Man warned at his partner. He and Lucina ran up the steps; and the princess was confused by the analogy. "What does that mean?"

"It means that they are right in front of us," he replied, unleashing a Danger Wrap at a couple enemies above. Once the projectile arched over a couple of flying foes, an explosion came afterward — launching them out of the course.

"I hear something!" Lucina called out. She pointed to the top. Mega Man gazed up and found Ganondorf and Little Mac fighting off some enemies.

"We still have to defeat that damned gorilla," The Gerudo King growled; Bonkers stomped at seeing the other enemies attacked. Feeling the need to protect himself and his post, he swung his hammer around madly.

"It's Bonkers!" Mega Man cried, and Lucina's eyes widened beneath her blindfold. "He doesn't look too happy!"

"Then leave him to me!" Lucina cried in determination; drawing out Falchion to exterminate him. Mega Man looked at her weirdly from the declaration. "Uh, Princess... you can't even see..."

"I expected you to say that," Lucina said, she lightly smirked. "But as my navigator — you will guide me to him, will you?"

What she said served him a reminder; Mega Man nodded, recalling his position for this event. He gripped her hand and ran up the stairs; indicating his duty to fulfill to Lucina's request. "Alright. I'll be right with you, let's take him down!"

As Ganon and his partner avoided a swing attack by Bonkers; he glanced at the rival team running from below and glared. "Curses... if they come here they may get the upper hand..."

The next thing the Gerudo heard was a roar, and Bonkers was sprinting toward them. Hammer gripped tight, the gorilla's patience diminished. He could no longer afford these Smashers on his territory, and aimed to kick them out; even if meant whacking in them out like moles. This put Ganondorf off guard while Little Mac yelped from hearing the gorilla's anger. "Crap!"

"Charge!"

The outside voice led Bonkers and the other team to stop and look up; with the blue duo coming down. Feeling threatened, Bonkers hammer swung a coconut out at them; that would keep them away!

His opponents were not foolish; Mega Man smirked at the projectile coming. He made no hesitation to summon Skull Barrier for protection. Once the fruit made contact with the barrier; it bounced right back at Bonkers. An explosion occurred afterward, and smoke released from the site. While Bonkers was still intact after the attack, he was extremely weakened. He held his hammer for support as he slumped down; wanting to flee.

He didn't get such chance when a sword penetrated through the smoke and slashed him out.

As the smoke started to clear, Lucina posed by gripping her sword in front. She sighed in relief as Mega Man pat her back in approval. "Nice job."

"I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for your guidance," Lucina replied; feeling the need to give her partner credit.

"Think nothing of it. You sliced him out... I say you did the core of the job," Mega Man reminded.

The blue warrior smiled in response. "Thank you."

"No problem; now let's run before the smoke clears out. Otherwise Ganon — "

"Fools!" Ganondorf snickered as he and Little Mac started to run off. The Blue Bomber's eyes widened at the mean response, feeling cheated on. Mega Man didn't think the other team would run off so quickly; rather, would stay shocked by their intrusion here. "Hey!"

The Gerudo laughed deviously at taking advantage of the situation. "I'll be sure to repay you for taking out all the enemies and letting us stay in the lead!"

"You got to be kidding me... come on Lucina; we got to bounce back!"

From there the princess and android ran after them. As they did, they noticed the next obstacle may slow the other team down...

...and give back first place.

* * *

At the food court, Zelda sat alone; waiting for Samus to come. The Princess of Hyrule sighed for she was waiting far longer than needed. She knew Samus was to arrive late, yet her patience was eroding.

 _If she doesn't come in the next ten minutes, I'm going to have to leave. I already ate..._

"Ugh."

The irritated voice made Zelda's ears perk up, and the princess glanced to her right. Dark Pit sulked in his seat, muttering to himself in faint words. Yet, Zelda picked up some of them that she turned to the black angel with inquiry.

"Dark Pit, why are you brooding?"

The doppelganger looked at Zelda with the most deadpan expression ever, then he smacked his head. "I have made a mistake..."

Zelda blinked at the troubled response. "A mistake?"

"Maybe it was a bad idea... I didn't think that robot would come and attack us. Now _he_ ran away looking for her," Dark Pit mumbled, confusing Zelda. "Damn, does he really care about Lucina that much?"

"Dark Pit, what are you talking about?"

"On second thought," Dark Pit murmured, changing his mind in possibly revealing Zelda the situation. He lifted up from his seat, regretting what he did. "Maybe I shouldn't get you involved..."

He walked out of the food court, and the princess was startled by all the information; begging him not to go. "Wait!"

She set her gloved hand back down and Zelda sat back, disjointed from everything that just occurred. "I don't understand... what's happening?"

Zelda looked up at the television displayed in front of the eating area she sat in. The screen displayed a Smash Run event and the Hylian princess instantly recognized the contestants. "Oh, Lucina and Mega Man..."

"Zelda."

She turned around, and a worried tactician was at her sight.

Dark Pit walked out, feeling lost in what action to take. On one hand, he should go find Robin and attempt to settle things down; yet on another he felt he shouldn't get involved with this anymore. However overall, he believed that this was all his fault. He grumbled at himself for getting into such mess; blaming his black and gray mentality.

 _Everything just gets worse..._

Yet, was he truly to blame when Mega Man came out and attacked him and Robin out of nowhere? It was an unexpected event that no one foresaw, and Dark Pit remembered that.

 _...no. I can't be the blame for_ _ **that.**_ _Maybe it was a good thing that I warned — !_

As he turned to a corner; a bounty hunter and prince instantly ambushed him.

.

"Urgh, I can't wall jump," Ganon grumbled at the disappointing path above them, it consisted of a narrow course closed by two walls. By the top right side of the wall, was the continued course and on the left was a lava pit laying on it vertically. Finally, his eyes widened at one other feature included. "A bumper near the top?!"

"Well that sucks," Little Mac mumbled; hearing the revelation. "I would wall jump, but if we hit the bumper it will knock us into something. Is there another way?"

The king huffed. "There might be if we keep going."

"Or maybe you should try out the bumper before you check the other route!" Mega Man chimed in; he aimed at the bumper and released a pent up shot from his buster. When the shot collided with the bumper, it knocked back down to the area Ganondorf and Little Mac stood on. This made the other team flee from the attack; despite being completely off-guard by the surprise.

"Got them!" Mega Man chirped; he took Lucina's hand again and ran off. "See ya!"

The Gerudo warlock's face was extremely red by the sneak attack, and Little Mac rubbed his head from the collision to the floor. Ganon felt insulted; he couldn't believe his team was taken a back from a young android's antics. He slammed his fist down. "That piece of scrap metal!"

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"

A massive blue ball of energy was lurched at Ganon's team; throwing them into third place. Both Olimar and Lucario ran passed them, with the Pikmin running over the Gerudo King on the floor shortly after.

"Wow, I feel like I'm a Pokémon trainer!" joked Olimar as he hopped with his teammate over a series of platforms. Lucario rolled his eyes beneath his blindfold at the cheesy line.

"We're almost there Lucina," Mega Man assured, the two just jumped over a fire hazard. "We can do this, we can win!"

The Ylissean warrior smiled at the result they were almost at. "I pray that nothing hinders us anymore..."

Suddenly, two fighters were flung over her and her partner; their yelling led Mega Man to find Lucario and Olimar being thrown into a hazard. As they fell in it, another explosion occurred and brought the blue team off guard. The two stopped, and Mega Man shifted back at an enraged Ganon and disgruntled Little Mac.

Ganondorf spawned a menacing glare, feeling the need to retake his team's place back. "You two are next."

"I see the tether is still intact," Mega Man muttered at the other team not being disqualified yet.

"And yours will be broken!" Ganondorf yelled in fury; he and his partner charged down at them with another Wizard Assault and a Straight Lounge. As the fast flying kick and blasting punch reached the blue team, Mega Man and Lucina dodged themselves away immediately.

"Agh, looks like they want to fight," Mega Man grumbled to his partner as they recovered. "Shall we or should we keep going?"

"As much as I would like to spar, I believe we have a finish line to meet," Lucina recalled, not willing to stray from the mission at hand. "We cannot waste time!"

"Right, let's just go!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Ganondorf exclaimed in response at the fleeting team. He ran after them, dragging Little Mac around.

"Jump!" Mega Man commanded; Lucina did what as told and went over a large gap to reach a grassy path. Soon, Ganon followed after.

"Ganon! You're supposed to be leading me to the — oof!" Little Mac was tugged forcefully by his partner, and soon he was being tossed around like a rag doll. The boxer cried out in pain by the hits he received from being yanked around, each time his face hit the floor he made an imprint.

"Not without eliminating these rascals first!" Ganondorf roared; his eyes focused on the blue duo running away from them. He could care less about his partner being lugged around the floor as rage consumed him.

"Almost there!" Mega Man declared to Lucina; noticing the finish line coming at them. The princess started to pray for victory, especially when a mad Gerudo King was after them.

As they dashed toward the finish line, Ganondorf started to emit dark magic from his hand; charging up for a powerful Flame Chain. As purple flames radiated from his fist, he was eager to strike at them. "I shall be victorious!" he cried out; he grinned evilly as his fist made way through the air. The Gerudo would not allow his team be humiliated, if anything he would restore glory!

Or so he thought.

"Gods; no!" Lucina cried in protest at the possible attack, and Mega Man's eyes monitored one final hazard in front. He smirked as he found a solution. "We're not going down, Princess..."

As Ganon's attack reached at them, Mega Man grabbed the Gerudo King and threw him off. To add more to his dismay, the robot called out Lucina to do her part. The princess extended her leg out for him to trip, and the king fell into the last hazard.

Yet as he fell, the tether that connected him to his partner broke, and Little Mac was launched out. The poor boxer landed face down near the finish line. He weakly lifted himself up, and coughed from the dirt inhaled. He pulled up his blindfold slightly, only to find a broken tether on his wrist. He sighed in disappointment, realizing the outcome of his team. "Aw man..."

 _ **"**_ _ **FAILURE!"**_

"Now let's finish this!" Mega Man cried, running down with Lucina. The Princess of Ylisse suddenly felt joy rush through her body. _We're going... we're going to win!_

Alas, just as she reached the finish line... she tripped over Little Mac and rammed herself into her partner. While they reached the finish line, they were knocked down to the ground.

"Augh..." Mega Man mumbled as he rubbed the back of his helmet; recovering from the hit.

"Did... _cough_... we win?" Lucina said weakly. The princess ascended herself back up. "Is the tether alright?"

"Why... don't you look for yourself?" Mega Man inquired in suspense. A rush of fear now passed through Lucina's body, sensing dread. Did the tether break due to the collision? Now, she was frightened for another failure, but Lucina had no choice. She nervously pulled up her blindfold. She searched for the band that connected her and her ally as the dust cleared.

It was intact.

 _ **"**_ _ **SUCCESS!"**_

Now her fears melted away, and Lucina was happy. They had won an event, and Mega Man chuckled at the result. "Quite a fall we had to take!"

From there, the blue duo looked at each other and started to laugh... not just at their victory but how they won it. The other teams finally arrived, with Olimar smiling down at heartwarming moment.

"Congratulations."

* * *

From the television screen in the food court, Robin stared at the happy team in shock. Nothing but confusion, doubt, and worry lingered in him. He could not understand, why was Mega Man being friendly? If he was so welcoming, then what was the attack he did earlier on him? Was it all an act?

Zelda was also disturbed by the event, especially since Robin recently told her of the incident. Even if she believed Robin's story, and understood what Dark Pit said earlier, it made her puzzled. Mega Man displayed an entirely different character here; if what Robin said was true... then why was the Blue Bomber all genuine?

She was skeptical, and couldn't fathom on what to think or believe.

"I... I don't understand," Robin said with doubt. "He... he showed a different persona earlier... is he playing tricks with us?"

"I honestly do not know what to say Robin," Zelda replied softly.

Her eyes caught something odd when the results appeared on screen. While the results for Smash Run was displayed correctly; the final battle of the event wasn't.

 _What? How strange... they had a team race... not a Glorious Smash..._

"Robin!"

The Avatar and Hylian princess turned, and saw Dark Pit with Samus and Marth. Kirby flew to Robin with a relieved face and embraced him, overjoyed to find his partner safe. However, the tactician did not return it, and Kirby looked at him with worry. "Poyo?"

"Robin," Samus addressed sternly at the Avatar. "There is something you need to see."

"And when we get there we're going to have a long talk," Marth added firmly. "You're going to explain to us the issue with Mega Man!"

Before Robin could speak on how they knew the circumstances, Dark Pit intervened. "I had to tell them since they ambushed me outside the food court."

The tactician sighed; enthralled with more Smashers getting involved in this. "This isn't your concern."

"It is very well our concern!" Marth argued in anger. "Especially us, as representatives of our realm we must help each other!"

"I understand that Lord Marth, but this — "

"Have you forgotten that Lucina is a descendant of mine?! I have every right to be worried about this as you are, I — "

"Enough," Samus intervened, pulling back an indignant Marth who was about to draw his sword at Robin. "We can settle this in a mature matter, but first we must head back to Robin's room."

Robin blinked in surprise at Samus' remark. "My room? How come?"

"Come and see for yourself," Samus replied in a cold tone, and Robin had a sinking feeling to his stomach.

.

"Zelda; you didn't have to come," Robin said in shame at the princess who walked near him, along with the rest back to his room.

"You told me what happened, and now I'm just as involved in this as everyone else," Zelda answered. "I will not take no for answer; I am willing to help in whatever I can."

"I doubt you'll be able to do anything, Princess," Dark Pit muttered with his hands behind his head.

"Say what you want. I still want to be of assistance," Zelda argued.

"We're here," Samus announced; seeing Robin's room right in their direction. "Robin, can you — ?!"

The room's door was shut tight, and Marth noticed there were no scratches on it, or a dent at the wall from across. "What?"

Samus' face became suspicious, as this area was in ruins when they left it. She turned the knob and it did not open.

"I got this," Robin said, taking his key he placed it on the lock and it clicked. Once the door opened, the Smashers found a clean and orderly room... leaving them all in shock.

"What?!" Marth exclaimed. "Impossible! This room was destroyed!"

Samus' eyes widened, and she inspected the area... looking for anything like a trap or sort. Was this a cruel joke? How could the room recover so quickly? The room was vandalized!

Nothing was found, as if the room was never touched.

"I... I don't understand," Marth said in disturbance. "What's going on?"

 _"Heh, like the handywork?"_

A floating, crooked hand appeared down at the room, which startled the fighters. Crazy Hand chuckled at their reactions, finding them amusing. _"Everything is all fixed."_

"What... but how?" Marth demanded.

 _"You don't think you guys were the only ones who detected a disturbance around here, did you?"_

"So that means you were aware of what happened?" Dark Pit asked, with his arms crossed.

 _"I guess you could say that."_

"Including the assault?" Robin inquired, with a glare over the incident with Mega Man.

 _"Assault? Hahaha! That's cute."_ Crazy pinched Robin's cheek amusingly; he was not startled by what the Avatar said and doubted his claim. _"Your room was trashed, that was all."_

"That's a lie!" Dark Pit refuted at the ludicrous statement. "While I was in here with Robin earlier, Mega Man came and attacked us! There was even a hole in that wall!"

 _"Really? He was at the Smash Run event I hosted the entire time. Not sure where you are getting this from."_

"But it's true Crazy Hand!" Robin cried in indignation. He couldn't believe Crazy Hand discarded his information as false.

 _"Maybe you should stop reading so much of those books you have on the shelves, will ya?"_ Crazy Hand lightly flicked his large finger to the tactician's forehead.

"How come you won't believe us?" Dark Pit demanded.

 _"Master Hand and I would never allow such things to happen,"_ Crazy Hand explained firmly. " _We take the rules we place in this realm very seriously, I think I had enough of such idiotic claims. Maybe you all need some rest, get some. I recommend it."_

"Then explain the trashed room?" Marth asked; not satisfied with the answer.

 _"Ah, well must have been some intruder..."_

Samus narrowed her eyes at the careless Crazy Hand; detecting something off. Not that it was anything new... there was always something strange about the left hand... but this time it was stronger than usual.

 _"_... _we took care of it. Don't worry, I doubt such occurrences will happen again. Now will you excuse me, it's been a long day. I'm going to relax for a bit..."_

"Wait," Robin halted, keeping the left hand from floating away. "Where's Lucina?"

 _"Oh, you mean the Princess? She's with her partner of course; they went to the library."_

Robin didn't say anything after that, and Crazy Hand took his leave. _"I'll leave you all to enjoy your day. Especially you, Robin. I suggest you and Kirby should get some training as the day's almost over. See you!"_

As the hand disappeared, Dark Pit clenched his fists... feeling insulted. "Something's not right, there's no way he could brush off what we said like that! I know what happened, _he_ was here... with his arm cannon aimed right at us."

"Well... I... I need some medicine," Marth mumbled. He felt lightheaded. He was as lost. "It's been a long day..."

"Would you like me to accompany you and make you some tea?" Zelda inquired; trying to lighten up the circumstances.

"That would be nice Zelda; thank you. I need a break from all this insanity."

The two royals walked out the room, putting aside what occurred. Meanwhile, Samus viewed Dark Pit and Robin feeling completely lost. Kirby sighed, and the bounty hunter urged him that he should leave Robin alone and return tomorrow. The pink star warrior nodded and flew off, and Dark Pit looked at Samus uneasily.

"You believe us, right?"

The bounty hunter said nothing, but a hint of accordance was seen on her stoic expression. It indicated to Dark Pit that maybe she did believe them. "We need to talk," Samus finally declared at him. "I want more information out of you."

This made Dark Pit skeptical of the bounty hunter. "Huh, why are you inclined on this case anyway? Friend of Lucina? Mega Man?"

"I'm an acquaintance to both," Samus responded firmly at the angel's questions. "Now let's go. My lair."

"You gotta be kidding me," Dark Pit groaned, rubbing his temples. One crazy event after another, and he was getting sick of all this. "Can I get a break first?"

"Fine, I will be waiting in my room tonight. Nine o'clock sharp, be there." Samus walked out of Robin's room with Dark Pit grudgingly following afterward.

"I swear if another assault happens, don't say I didn't warn you."

"It won't happen."

As they left, a numbed Robin looked out the window... not even reacting to the wind closing his door.

.

"And that's it for today," Mega Man announced at Lucina as she finished marking up on a paper for team strategies. "It's getting late... and I'm sure you want to get some sleep, Princess."

Lucina laughed sweetly, putting away any supplies in the drawers. "It is; I shall take my leave then. I say today we have made nice progress."

"Oh yeah; definitely. Especially after that win, our team is starting to mold into something great."

"Yes, I am quite pleased with how things are going now."

"Heh, if this keeps up... we might have a good shot for the tournament! Have a Good Night, Lucina!"

"Good Night, Mega Man!"

"Ah," Mega Man halted from leaving the pleased princess from his room. "Not sure if I told you this, but I have another name you know."

Lucina turned back in surprise. "Oh?"

"While Mega Man is my alias for when I am in combat; my real name is Rock, and I have a sister named Roll. It's a reference to my dad's favorite music genre... Rock and Roll!"

There was a silence for a few moments, Lucina was confused on what that meant. From there, Mega Man sighed in embarrassment; remembering the different time period she was from. That and the different realms they belong to. "Never mind..."

"I think I understand some of it," Lucina quickly answered, then smiling. "Very well, I'll see you tomorrow then... Rock."

The blue android's face lightened with glee, feeling happy that his real name was used. "See you!"

.

As Lucina arrived to her room, she noticed Ike walking passed her. "Good Evening, Lord Ike."

The Radiant Hero greeted back, which brought to Lucina to ask if he saw Robin. The princess felt the need to tell her friend about the amazing progress for her team, and maybe he would share how his own day went.

"I haven't seen him all day," Ike answered, scratching his head. "He's probably working his ass off again at the library with Kirby."

"I see. If you see him, please tell him not to overwork himself."

"Will do."

The Princess of Ylisse entered her room; she flopped onto her bed, feeling quite tired. She released a yawn; having the need for rest. The third day had come to an end, and what better way to end the productive day with a good night's rest?

 _I should get ready for bed... oh no!_

She suddenly rose up from the mattress; remembering something important. The Ylissean warrior went into her drawer to find a paper and pen. When she did... Lucina sat on her desk, pondering on what to write. She played with her pen for a bit, and once the idea came, she jot down on what to send.

 _"Dear Father..."_

Beyond her bedroom window, a shadow wearing a helmet was watching her intently. As Lucina concluded her letter and lifted herself from her seat, the shadow quietly jumped away from sight.

* * *

 _ **And you have reached the end, congratulations! Thank you for reading this far! Now, I can't make any promises on when the next chapter update will be, but know I will not forget about this project. That and I'm thinking of becoming more active in the Smash Bros. archive; maybe join some of the writing contests I see around here. I have some story ideas in mind, plus a collaboration work with a friend posted on this archive.  
**_

 _ **Finally, like all writers ask for; we always wish for critiques and or comments on our works. So don't be shy to write in that review box below.**_

 _ **Well, that's enough for one note... take care now. May we meet again in the next.  
**_


	8. Chapter 7

**_Holy hell, it's been a few months hasn't it?_**

 ** _I've been meaning to update this, honest! In fact, I've been working on this for the past month! Time is a cruel mistress, and I like to thank the academy for giving me papers, tests, art, and writing projects. Thank you, I must end the spring semester with a bang, and I have terrible time management. I question how other authors on this archive update in a timely fashion, because I can't. I've been very busy this college semester you don't want to know..._**

 ** _On a more positive note, guess what I snagged the past month or so? That's right, Fire Emblem Fates and Mega Man Legacy Collection. As a lover of both franchises, I had to buy them. What can I say? They're great, but that's just my inner fan talking._**

 ** _So this chapter is another long one, and that means more fight scenes! However, as I said in Chapter 2's Author Note, don't expect the fight scenes technical. That doesn't mean I don't do research on character movesets and strategies though. Smash 4's metagame is still being tweaked, so I heard. Next, since summer is around the corner... this story might return to frequent updates. And I say 'might' because I have plans for the summer too, so it's up in the air. Regardless, I do have a rough outline for this story and its ending envisioned, so I would like to complete this eventually. The matter is, when, haha._**

 ** _Now dear Reader, I leave you with Chapter 7. I think you had enough of this ridiculous Author's Note, Happy Reading!_**

* * *

 **7**

 _Day Four – Morning to Afternoon_

* * *

She greeted the morning.

Lucina walked down a specific hall, her boots and armor clicked with each step made. Her mind was focused on reaching her destination, which was right at the end of the hallway. It was the café, a place she had visited many times. The last visit was when Pit invited her for breakfast on the first day of her prep.

Now it was the fourth day, how fast time went.

However, she wasn't going to the café from an invitation by the angel, but from someone else. Someone who, ironically should have been the first person she met on the first day. Now it was his turn to be met in the morning, Mega Man was waiting for her at the café. Not that there was any issue with that.

Throughout this trip here, the Princess of Ylisse received some compliments from Smashers regarding her Smash Run performance yesterday. The media was quick to spread the events that occurred in this realm. The princess wasn't fond of gossip, but for this one it slipped because it was well deserved. The performance her team gave was something wonderful. It was drastic change needed from the second day's disastrous failure with the mii fighters. At that point in time, Lucina felt her team hit rocks.

Now it was different, she felt her team drifted into something pleasing. Since yesterday's events their teamwork and synergy, matured. No longer was there fear or apprehension, the princess and the android scored a win in the Smash Run event. From fighting off enemies, to knocking down a mad Gerudo King into a lava pit that set to his team's doom. It was a nice finishing touch to show how the team evolved. And to Lucina, Ganondorf deserved it for mocking her team at the very things they sought to improve on.

She remembered Mega Man saying how nervous he was the other day, now it didn't look like he displayed it anymore.

Lucina was content.

As she entered the café, she found a young android in his armor. He was looking out at the window as he tapped his fingers on the table. Lucina smiled at the display for Mega Man looked patient, obviously he was waiting for her arrival, and now she was here. Yet, she decided to quickly use the restroom first, and then meet with the Blue Bomber.

She was oblivious when Mega Man's eyes had moved nonchalantly at her direction, detecting her moving toward the restroom area. He intended to smile at her arrival, but he didn't.

He should have, for he was supposed to feel great.

After the victory with the princess on Smash Run, Mega Man was pleased with the results. Like Lucina, he too felt the team was heading in the right direction. He was also bombarded with compliments he received from fighters and welcomed them.

That was until — he was reminded of something unsettling.

Rather than being a respectful Smasher like most, Wario attacked his team on the victory, ending his original happy mood. Despite the victory, the greedy miser declared that was nothing to Mega Man. At first, the Blue Bomber was annoyed and defended his victory, but Wario had asked him something unnerving.

That if they had an actual battle against another team.

When the Blue Bomber said no, the miser laughed and said the issue still persisted. That Lucina's 'clone status' would bring the team down.

" _You two have yet to do an actual team battle,"_ he told him earlier. _"_ _And you'll see that your team is majorly flawed, just watch! You're going to wish you had Marth as a partner instead, buahaha!"_

Those haunting words lingered throughout his processor, and Mega Man bit his lip. Was he still upset and worried about Lucina's status? That her playstyle would affect their chances at winning the tournament? He had set those feelings aside yesterday, and forgot them due to the Smash Run win, but Wario had to bring it up.

 _I certainly hope I am not having doubts right now..._ Mega Man thought warily. _We had made it this far, I can't let these idiotic issues persist; they are starting to become a problem. I have to talk with Lucina about this._

He didn't like that he was dwelling into trivial concerns... why did it matter if the Ylissean warrior was similar to the Hero King? They were related after all. Then, Mega Man remembered a stigma with the clone status some fighters spoke with disgust, Dark Pit receiving the worst of it.

 _What's so bad about them?_ he thought. Sure, he saw the argument that clones were a bit unoriginal in playstyle and possibly a mockery, but at the same time, they were people too. Some may even emulate the style out of honor instead. Yet, he felt concerns over his team. If one's playstyle is similar to another; it could be a disadvantage and lead to predictability.

Was the Blue Bomber concerned his team was being tainted with someone who may have such stigma? Would the clone status truly affect winning chances? After all, was interested in winning his first doubles tournament.

Mega Man groaned, rubbing his temples into why he was dwindling himself into this. Lucina was an important fighter as he, no matter what her status was. To the robot, he viewed everyone here was equal, no matter who or what they were. Most were living beings after all, the very sole reason why he existed as a warrior in the first place, to protect them.

 _Maybe there is something wrong with me,_ he thought. _I shouldn't be so insecure... perhaps a tune up is in order. I'll see if I can reach Dr. Light soon._

Suddenly, he saw Lucina sat across from him and greeted with a smile. Mega Man greeted in return. "Hey."

"I suppose we are going to talk about today's schedule?" Lucina inquired, opening up the café's menu book.

Mega Man nodded. "Yeah, but how about you eat first? I don't want you hungry."

"Alright... Rock, that's your real name right?"

The android blinked at hearing that, but he smiled as he recalled telling the princess of his real name last night. "I'm glad you remembered."

Lucina beamed sweetly. "How would I not?"

"Heh, go back to reading that menu, Princess. Then we'll discuss on what's in store for today."

A far from their table, almost on the other side of the café, a dark winged angel kept his profile low.

Dark Pit was insecure.

It was tiring enough he discussed with Robin of Mega Man yesterday, but he gave the same speeches again to Samus last night. The bounty hunter for the most part listened, but made heavy interrogation on his claims. Like Robin, she challenged him and to Dark Pit it was a nightmare. He knew from now on to never engage into debates with Samus. He received little sleep due to the debates going on until three in the morning.

Then there was the incident, which the dark angel could not fathom the reasons behind it. The most confusing thing that came out of yesterday however, was why Crazy dismissed it as false. It wasn't a lie nor a trick, the assault truly happened.

He had a slight headache, and it grew worse thanks to the coffee. Dark Pit felt like an idiot for the stupid decision in having that bitter drink. He rose up from his seat, threw the half empty cup into the trash, and walked back to his room for some sleep.

He was careful to avoid Mega Man and Lucina by taking another route out; hoping neither were aware of what happened yesterday.

It didn't seem like anyone else was aware either, no one had spoke anything strange since he arrived here. Instead, there was chatter about team progress. Dark Pit felt relieved, perhaps he was in the clear, and the information stayed between him and a few others. As he went through the alternate route, Dark Pit found Robin and Kirby sitting outside, eating. He froze upon seeing them, and hoped Robin didn't go in the café, otherwise he would encounter Lucina with Mega Man.

After yesterday's incident, who knew what Robin would do.

Dark Pit started to discern the features on the tactician's face as he ate with his partner. He simply sat, silently munching on oatmeal. His partner, Kirby indulged in large intakes of the waffles he ordered with a large amount whipped cream spread on it. The little strawberry that sat on top of the cream was a nice touch.

They looked so reserved to themselves, sheltered away from the rest of the world around them. Dark Pit sighed; he wondered how Robin was feeling since yesterday. From what he remembered, the tactician was in total distress. While it was a new day, obviously the effects of something insane as the attack would continue onto today.

And he knew just by seeing Robin's solemn face. Regardless, Dark Pit continued on, moving away from them, he didn't want to create a scene.

Until Robin noticed him.

 _Damn it._

It was his initial reaction, Dark Pit saw he was spotted and helpless. This was an awkward situation; the dark angel hadn't spoken with the tactician since he left his room. Dark Pit found this meeting inconvenient. He began to think of a solution, and was stuck with some options: stay, hide, or flee. He didn't want to seem like a coward by fleeing, especially if Robin was staring at him, and the sun was dawning upon him that it was impossible to hide. His shadow was perfectly visible.

He couldn't sneak away so he stayed; Dark Pit awkwardly looked back and mumbled a "Hello" to avert any tension. The tactician heard this and enacted a fake smile, but went to back to his meal. There was no doubt; Robin was still in shock from yesterday.

When Kirby perceived this, he attempted to keep the tactician's mind off by handing out his plate to share. Robin politely refused the extra waffle left and went back to his meal, and Kirby solemnly put his plate back on the table. His partner was not in good spirits at the moment.

And Dark Pit walked up to him. He might as well do _something_ than awkwardly walk away. Although, he could had taken the easy route out by ignoring it, but he wasn't fond of the poor mood Robin was in. "Hey."

"Good Morning," mumbled the tactician, sipping his coffee next to his meal.

"How are you?"

"I am doing well, how about you?"

His voice was monotone, Dark Pit glared at Robin for pretending to look well. "No, you're not." He took a seat next to him.

"What makes you say that?" Robin inquired with a small, but weak laugh.

"Your attitude gives it away. Look, there's no way you are over with what happened yesterday."

"I thought it was established that it was taken care of. That's what Crazy Hand said, right?"

"That's a load of crap and you know it."

"I suppose," Robin chuckled faintly. "However, I must admit... I feel lost."

Dark Pit leaned back in his chair. "There you go, took you long enough to admit your feelings."

"I guess I can't hide it."

"No, and I don't blame you. I've been in your position before. You got the short end of the stick here, obviously something's going on if Crazy Hand doesn't believe the Mega Man incident."

"I just..." Robin took hold of his coffee cup, gazing at his reflection on the dark liquid. "...maybe it was all a crazy dream? Perhaps yesterday never happened..."

Dark Pit immediately gawked at the Avatar for saying such absurd statements. "Are you serious?"

"I don't know. Crazy Hand said Mega Man was at a Smash Run event the entire time yesterday. If that's the case Dark Pit, then it's impossible that he attacked us."

"I'm not sure if we should trust his word since he didn't trust _us._ Are you only saying these things because Crazy rejected it? You shouldn't let him dictate your feelings, not everything he says is right."

Robin sighed in response. "It's not just that, I did see Mega Man at an event on television yesterday, so it does rise up some questions. It's possible he could have gone after the incident, but that doesn't explain why he had a completely different character than the Mega Man who attacked us."

"You're telling me that Mega Man did not commit the assault?"

"In a way, yes."

"And where's the proof? You saw him aiming his arm cannon at us, Robin! For all we know, he could be covering what he did. I wouldn't be surprised if Mega Man is playing pretend with his character," Dark Pit argued. "At this rate, we should find Master Hand and tell him. He's the big boss here after all, Crazy won't listen to us, and we can't let it go unnoticed. Another assault could happen."

Obviously Dark Pit was getting heated. It was evident to Robin that he was really adamant in getting their voices heard, as if he wouldn't tolerate the injustice done to them. Even though he secretly appreciated it, the tactician brought up a crucial issue. "We have no evidence; everything was 'cleaned up' by Crazy Hand. How are we going to tell Master Hand of the incident if there's no proof?"

"Point taken."

"Also, I doubt anyone else would like to cooperate with us. You saw Marth's state of mind when Crazy Hand negated our claim. Everyone walked out on us."

"Not everyone..."

"Then who stayed?"

"Samus, the discussion we had last night was proof," Dark Pit replied. "I don't know if she's on our side or not, but she said she will investigate more on it. Also, she saw the trashed room before Crazy Hand fixed it. She's suspicious, particularly of Crazy Hand. I'm just as skeptical, there's something shady between him and Mega Man."

He continued on in an angry tone. "That robot needs to pay for his offenses. He got away with what he did to me during that friendly match, but not this time. Before, my report was ignored because I didn't have proof. Now this time it's different, multiple people witnessed this incident, and he's not getting away with it!"

"Poyo..." Kirby mumbled at Dark Pit's angry speech, the dark angel smirked at the pink puff — showing sudden confidence. "We won't lose. Now will you excuse me, I'm going to tell Samus that I will be helping her with the investigation."

Pit's dark half left, and Robin rubbed his temples in frustration. "Oh Naga... and I have a tournament ahead."

He looked at Kirby with slight shame. "My apologies if this is causing a dent in our partnership. I did not mean for this to happen."

To his surprise, Kirby shook his head at the apology. Then, the pink puff patted the Avatar's hands. "It's okay."

The tactician jumped out of his seat in shock. This was certainly a new discovery for Robin on his ally. "You can talk?!"

Kirby winked as the Robin settled down. He put one of his stubby arms on his lips. "Secret."

"I... see. Well... um, heh... let's just focus back on the tournament. I'm sure you want to continue training. We wasted a day and we need to catchup. Is that an ideal plan?"

Kirby nodded and the tactician smiled lightly, easing him from troublesome stress due to yesterday's assault. He cleaned up their eating area and disposed their waste to the nearest trash can. "Then let's head off. I'm afraid we have to leave it the way it is, for now. I'll admit I am still unsettled by the events of yesterday, but we have a tournament to compete in. Despite everything, we can't let it distract us from the competition. Let's tip the scales!"

"Poyo!" cried Kirby with joy. Suddenly, Robin found himself on a warp star. He was quite startled by it. "Gah! What the?!"

Next, he saw Kirby jump in front, and Robin caught him sitting on his lap. The tactician was confused by the situation, but he had no time to think of it once the star accelerated away. "Wo — woah!"

And when he figured that Kirby was taking him to the training facility, he smiled down at the laughing pink warrior in his arms.

.

"So you would like to us fight another team, Rock?" inquired Lucina as she finished her meal in the café. Mega Man, who had gave out the plans for today, nodded in response.

"I think it's time that we start battling other teams," he said. "That way we can get a good look at where we stand. The other events we participated in were simply side ones, and we only fought against each other. While we won't know who we will face in the tournament until later this week, it's good to get some practice."

"Alright, we should start doing that," Lucina said agreement. "Who should we ask to spar with us?"

"I know Sonic said the other day his team would be down. We should find him."

Lucina now stood up, eager to go along with today's plans. Whatever it took to make this day productive and progressive. "Let's go."

"Lucina, Mega Man," a voice called out, inducing the blue duo to stay in their seats. The two saw a blue haired, muscular mercenary and a PSI child with a red hat approaching them. Ike, who happened to saw them at the café while discussing with his ally Ness on something, decided to visit them.

"Lord Ike," Lucina greeted at the Radiant Hero's presence. "Good Morning."

"Good Morning Lucina, and Mega Man," Ike greeted with a smile. The princess and robot nodded at his greeting, and Mega Man asked, "What brings you here, Ike?"

The mercenary chuckled. "Well first off, I would like to congratulate you two on a job well done. Ness and I saw the Smash Run event you participated in, and we were quite impressed. You managed to pull through in an insane event with the limitations you were given."

"Thanks, we appreciate it."

"It was quite tough at times but we made it through," Lucina added with a grin. "We appreciate the commentary, Ike."

"Spare me the flattery," said Ike. "You deserve it Lucina. You and Mega Man did wonderful; I'm even surprised how you two managed to get around Ganon. I am told he can be quite difficult."

"Yeah, he's something," Mega Man stated with a light chortle.

"Gossip truly does spread like wildfire. Moving on, we were wondering if you two would like to spar with us."

Ike's request suddenly piqued Mega Man's interest. Meanwhile, Lucina looked at him perplexed. "Spar with your team?"

"Indeed, we would like some practice against other teams before the tournament. Of course, the decision goes to you two," Ike replied. "You are not obligated to comply. Ness and I can find another team if need to be."

The Blue Bomber and Princess of Ylisse stared at each other for a few moments, contemplating if they should take Ike's offer. _"Um, shall we, Rock?"_ Lucina whispered as Ike and Ness waited for their response. _"I know you said Sonic, but it appears we have a team ready to spar."_

Mega Man began to think _._ He whispered back to Lucina, _"Hmm... Ike is a heavy sword wielder with powerful attacks, and Ness is a versatile, projectile fighter. He can absorb enemy projectiles with his PSI magnet..."_

 _"But I could take on Ness while you aim for Ike, correct? That way you won't have to deal with the nuisance of his reflectors..."_

 _"That would be a suitable route to take, but they may also have something up their sleeve..."_

 _"It shouldn't hurt to try and fight, right? This is what we need, after all. How about we seize the chance?"_

Lucina looked at him for an answer, and Mega Man pondered on, _It can be quite a challenge due to the matchup, but this seems too good to pass..._

He looked at his partner and nodded, then at Ike's team. He decided to have his team take the risk. "Ike, we accept your challenge."

"Perfect," Ike said, grinning. "How would you like it to be?"

"That might depend," Mega Man replied. "Since this is just a practice battle, maybe we should keep it simple. Or, we can treat it like a tournament battle."

"I think that's a bit much if we do that," Ike argued. "Simplicity is best. I suggest we fight with no items or trophies, just so we can get a feel of how we do against each other. Then, perhaps a flat stage is best so no hazards to distract us."

"So you want the battle to focus on just fighting?"

"That's right. No aid, no hazards, just pure brawl. We use with what we have."

"That certainly seems like a fine idea," Lucina chimed in.

"I like it," said Ness.

"Our partners have reached agreement," Ike affirmed to Mega Man. "Also, we can make the battle have a time limit or we can fight until no more."

"I don't mind a time limit, but we should at least place some tournament rules in," Mega Man suggested.

Ike looked at the android uneasily at the idea. "There is one problem with that."

"What's wrong?"

"We don't know the _exact_ rules for this tournament, yet," Ike explained. "You know that right? I know at the meeting we had before this week, Master Hand briefly went over general tournament rules, but they may not apply to this _specific_ tournament. All we received so far is the roster, and the lineup won't be posted until the day before. I assume the official rules for this tournament will be posted on that day."

"Oh right," Mega Man recalled, remembering only knowledge of the roster.

"It's weird," Ness commented. "From all the doubles tournaments I was in before, we at least got the official rules ahead of time."

"That is weird. Could Crazy Hand be the reason we haven't received them yet?"

The PSI boy shrugged. "I guess."

"It must be," Ike observed in speculation. "Master Hand was at least generous when it came to tournaments. If Crazy took charge, then it was a bit more challenging. Not saying Master Hand can also create difficult competitions, but Crazy is a whole new level... it's lunacy."

"I guess he wants this tournament to be the same nature as himself," Mega Man mused.

"Yeah but Master Hand is hosting it, not Crazy," Ness reminded.

"But Crazy has a bit of a role," Lucina mentioned.

"I wouldn't call it 'a bit' anymore Princess," Mega Man argued, closing his eyes. "Especially after yesterday..."

There was quite some skepticism when the robot said that, Lucina blinked as she suspected Mega Man was onto something.

"Let's just stick with three stocks, a stage in Omega form, and a time limit of eight minutes," Ike said, bringing the topic back at hand. "That's usually how most of our double tournaments go, just for the time being."

"Yeah," Ness said in agreement. He looked at his opponents. "Um, are you two okay with that?"

"I am," Lucina replied firmly. "Rock?"

The android shrugged. "It's what we have, unfortunately. But, that's no big deal. Let's give it our all, Princess!"

"Alright," Lucina said, nodding. She turned to Ike. "Shall we get going?"

"Yes. Let's find a stage, and we will begin." Ike started to walk off with Ness at his side, while the blue duo followed them.

* * *

"Damn! So close!"

When Pit heard his partner Falco complain, he couldn't help but join in. He slumped down on the stage in defeat. It was a long and ardent doubles match they were just in, and they succumbed to the results. It did not help it was against another team they hoped to avenge against. "We almost had it..."

The opposing team they fought against approached them; Mario reached out his hand for the sake of courtesy. "Good game, you two."

Falco sighed as he took hold of Mario's hand and stood up. "We were hoping to get you back after the last match we had."

Mario chuckled. "You almost did. Luckily, Link's bomb managed to deter any further damage from you two."

"Yeah, but that was out of nowhere!" Pit cried, rising up. He turned to Link and crossed his arms while pouting, expressing dissatisfaction. "Stealth ninja much?"

The Hero of Hyrule sighed at the angel's silly comment. "The timing was right, I took the chance and it worked in our favor. Nothing crazy."

"Sureeee..."

"I think that's enough quarrel," Mario announced, ending the strife between Pit and Link. "We should leave the stage now, other teams are about to use it."

"Who?" Falco asked.

"I'm assuming them," Link remarked, staring at the appearances of four figures coming down through rotating platforms.

"Are you four done with the stage?" Ike asked as he jumped down. "We would like to use it for our own match."

"Yeah, we're just wrapping things up," Mario answered. "We'll be going now."

"Hey Mega Man!" Pit greeted cheerfully at the Blue Bomber who came down onto the arena. "Are you and Lucina going to fight against Ike's team?"

Mega Man nodded. "Yeah, it was about time we got an actual doubles match. I look forward to it."

"Oh, good luck! You can do it..." Pit's voice faded as he came up with an idea. He beamed at the robot. "...do you mind if we watch?"

"Want a break already?" Falco muttered at his ally's statement.

"Come on, we just had a long match. We can relax and watch for a bit, don't you think?" Pit spoke, winking. Falco rolled his eyes and walked off. "As long as it's not too long of a break, although I don't mind sitting out for a while..."

"I guess you can stay and watch," Mega Man said softly at Pit's request. "Are you sure it won't cut with your team's prep time?"

"Nah, Falco seems cool with it," Pit assured, he waved off. "We'll be at the sidelines then! Good luck!"

Mega Man let out a weak wave. "Thanks."

"Hmm, I suppose you can make room for two more watching the event?" Mario inquired. Mega Man stared at Mushroom Kingdom's hero in surprise. "You want to watch too?"

"Why not? This is your first doubles tournament, right? I would love to see a glimpse of you in cooperative action, even though this is just practice," Mario explained. He smirked. "It would be great to see a good friend show what he can do on the battlefield."

"Mario..."

The android felt a pat on the back by the plumber. "Good luck, Mega Man. I'll be rooting for you." From there, Mario went off and Mega Man smiled lightly. At least, he felt he was treated nicer here than the Smash Run match. No rude comments, or insults, just fighters being modest. Of course, he knew the kind heart Mario had. "Thank you."

"I'll watch too," Link issued after seeing the others take the same route; he gazed at the other three. "Good luck to you all."

"Appreciated Link," Ike stated on Link's neutral position. He chuckled at the other fighters at the sidelines. "It seems everyone wants Mega Man's team to win, but, not without a good fight."

.

The two teams now stood face to face, across from each other, standing on the platform of the Town and City stage. Meanwhile, the bystanders sat on platforms away from the stage.

"We have a good view here!" cried Pit as the others carefully observed the impending battle between two teams. He was quick to show his preferred team when he yelled and waved, "You can do it Mega Man! I believe in you and Lucina!" The angel's big and rowdy supports for the Blue Bomber's team lead to Falco and Link deadpanning, while Mario laughed lightly.

"The time has come," Ike announced. The Radiant Hero turned to his ally who was stretching. "Are you ready, Ness?"

"Just a minute," Ness answered, halting Ike's question. He finished his last warm up and did a quick inspection on his finger to see if he can perform his psychokinesis. Once he noticed his finger create a spark, he grinned. "I'm ready."

"Good. Then..." Ike pulled out his infamous regalia sword, Ragnell and gripped it for combat. He aimed the sword toward his opponents and smirked, eager for battle. "...prepare yourselves!"

"Everything looks good," announced Rock as he finished some calibrations on his Mega Buster. Now, he was ready for combat, and he affirmed it to his partner with a nod.

"And I am as well," said Lucina, unleashing the Parallel Falchion. Her sword was directed at Ike and Ness, indicating her determination for the fight. "Be ready, Rock."

"I'm right behind you, Princess."

"May the best team win!" Ike called out as Ness showed off his baseball bat as taunt. Mega Man and Lucina straightened their positions toward them.

 _ **Three!**_

 _"Alright Ness,"_ Ike whispered to his ally. " _Since we're facing another sword wielder and a projectile user, you know who to go for."_ His partner nodded in response. _"Okay!"_

 _ **Two!**_

 _"Ness is obviously going to come for me due to advantage,"_ Mega Man whispered at Lucina. _"You should try to deter him, while I get Ike."_

 _"Right."_

 _ **One!**_

"Good luck, teams," said Mario. He watched the two teams direct their weapons against each other and ready to sprint forth. There was no holding back here.

 _ **GO!**_

"Get Mega Man!" commanded Ike at his partner. Ness rushed down the platform, sprinting his legs down to meet his opponent. The Blue Bomber swiftly placed a metal blade down when he saw Ness coming at his direction. "Knew it."

"Shall I deter him now?" Lucina asked swiftly, keeping her guard up.

"Not yet," Mega Man halted. He then picked up the blade, waiting for Ness to come closer. Once he came forth, he immediately swung the blade at him. "Not until he takes this!"

The metal blade flew across the air, and Mega Man urged Lucina to race forth and slash Ness once the blade did its work of stopping him. There, Ness would be obstructed by the projectile and Lucina could release a swipe at him to create more damage. The Princess of Ylisse complied, and ran down.

"Expected," Ike observed when he saw metal blade coming toward the PSI child. He was shortly behind Ness, routing his ally to attack with no nuisances. The mercenary was aware of how Mega Man used metal blades to hinder opponents from attacking. "Ness, incoming metal blade!" he called out. The boy heeded Ike's warning and jumped to catch the racing blade, stopping it.

Mega Man was stupefied by Ness' fast reflexes. "Huh?!"

The PSI child was now up in the air, aiming Mega Man's own weapon back at him. Once the target was on sight, he hurtled back the saw blade. "Hup!"

"No!" Lucina cried in defense, lunging Falchion toward Ness to deflect the blade away. However, her sword crashed into Ike's Ragnell, who blocked her offensive. "I think not!"

"Oof!" Pit cried from the sidelines as he witnessed the clash.

"Ike was quick enough to stop Lucina's blow," Link observed, as Lucina's sword colliding with Ike's was visible for everyone to see.

Ike smirked as he viewed the princess struggling to grip her sword when Ragnell pressed onto it. "I'm not letting you hurt Ness."

Lucina grit her teeth, the princess did not want to be in this predicament. Not when her ally was at an disadvantage, now Ike's team gained the upper hand. She pulled Falchion away to run and help, but she stumbled, and her blade crashed with Ragnell again. Lucina had no choice; she was now in a duel with Ike. With each swipe she made, she found the Radiant Hero equally returning them, their blades banging and clashing.

Seeing that Lucina failed to avert the projectile, Mega Man slid across the stage when metal blade was propelled back at him. Ness frowned in dissatisfaction, the weapon had missed, yet his expression instantly changed when he noticed something. His eyes and mouth widened when he found a surprise crash bomber implanted on his shirt.

"Sorry Ness," Mega Man mumbled, pulling down his buster.

He saw Ness shielding from the bomb, but attempting to come at him. Mega Man took out another metal blade to perform more nuisances at him, although that may not even come to play.

Not when Ness unleashed his PSI magnet to absorb the exploding bomb and regain health. Now, he smirked.

This put Mega Man in a difficult position. _Crud..._

"Oh no," Pit stated uneasily.

"Yeah. Ness' healing abilities can absorb projectiles, which Mega Man relies on greatly," Mario added, now concerned about the battle's outcome. "This isn't good."

As he saw the Blue Bomber thrown back by his recent ploy, Ness went to unleash a signature move, "PK Fire!"

"Ah!" Mega Man jumped away, avoiding the flames that would have scorched his armor. He flipped behind Ness, hoping for a sneak attack with metal blade. Yet, as he flung the projectile, Ness rapidly turned and discharged his bat out to swing.

And the bat smacked metal blade right onto Mega Man's face.

Falco started to laugh once he viewed the funny scene, while the others had their own reactions to it. Pit looked horrified, while Mario covered his eyes with his hands, and Link shook his head in disbelief.

The Blue Bomber was sent flying a few feet. Once was he inches below the ground, Ness seized the opportunity to grab him using his psychokinesis. He swung the android in a circle, then launching him forward, and attacking him in the air with the stream of PK sparks released from his palms.

Lucina saw her partner being assaulted and she was still in the duel with Ike. She called out Mega Man's name in worry, wanting to help him. However, she wasn't going anywhere if she continued the swordplay with Ike. She needed to think quickly of getting away from this and help her ally.

On the other side of the duel, Ike sensed Lucina was anxious to end the fight and rush to Mega Man's aid. The Radiant Hero could not help but chuckle as he saw Lucina struggling to end their little match.

"You have good swordplay!" he cried through the sounds of their swords clashing due to each blow they made toward each other. "I was told your father taught you the ways of Falchion?"

Lucina scrutinized Ike when he finished his statements, detecting that he was trying to distract her from Mega Man by striking a conversation. The princess wasn't going to fall for it so easily, she replied back, "Yes, and I will win this match... for my father!"

.

Within the mansion's fitness room, Samus was lifting weights, something she did to keep herself in shape. She was also grateful that the room was pleasantly quiet so she could focus on her physique. She had one thing to thank the doubles tournament for, as it kept other Smashers occupied with their teams and leaving the room vacant, which was usually filled with chatter.

That did not mean she was immune her surroundings, she picked up a dark winged angel at the doorway. "Hey."

Detecting Dark Pit walking toward her, she slowly set the dumbbells down and moved her eyes toward him. Having caught her attention, Dark Pit was prone to speak. "About the investigation you're doing..."

Samus raised an eyebrow, curious on what he planned to say. Her eyes focused on the determined expression he suddenly held, which was a total change from their conversation last night — where he was tired and brooding of everything that happened. There was definitely a catalyst somewhere if Dark Pit had a different attitude now. The dark angel found Samus urging him to continue with a nod, and he finished his statement.

"...mind if I join in?"

.

"That's it, come on, you can do it!" Robin cheered as Kirby attacked a practice fighter bot. The two were in one of the training rooms; Robin was quick to write down what he observed as Kirby went at the dummy.

 _Floaty, damaging down smash, fast forward with the kick..._

And when Kirby finished the bot with his fiery hammer flip, Robin applauded. "Wonderful!" The pink puff grinned and blushed at the compliment, and the Avatar offered him a treat for a job well done. "Here you go."

Kirby happily accepted his prize and inhaled it for consumption, causing the tactician to sweatdrop in response. Kirby happily marched back to the stage, waiting for the next bot to appear.

"Let's bring out..." Robin said, pressing a button from the remote in his hand. "...random."

The next bot that came out was someone they did not expect. He stood in front of Kirby, short, but tall enough to hover over him. Kirby looked up uneasily, sensing how creepily realistic this bot looked. "...Poyo?"

Robin looked up from his book after he marked a new entry for the next practice match. "Is something wrong Kirby – ?!"

The Avatar's eyes widened, and dropped his book upon seeing a familiar figure charging his arm cannon at Kirby. "Gods!"

.

"Lucina, would you like to know... how I learned combat?" Ike inquired, as he continued the swordfight with Lucina. The princess clearly held no interest, and swept her blade down, but Ike flipped from the swiping sword and rammed his blade at the Ylissean warrior. Lucina yelped from the heavy sword impacting her back, causing her to tumble down.

"Princess!" Mega Man cried out. Yet, his emotional response made him unaware of Ness' ambush, gripping the robot tightly. The PSI child made no hesitation to perform his powerful backthrow that send him flying toward the blast line. Believing the android was knocked out, Ness rushed toward Ike to help him finish off Lucina. It seemed like the logical thing to do, except he didn't check thoroughly.

Luckily for Mega Man, the backthrow was not enough to make him lose a stock just yet, despite the heavy amount of damage he accumulated. He went to recover using Rush to reach the stage again. _We're not done yet,_ he thought, charging up his buster at the running Ness. _Princess, I'm coming! Just let me get this guy out of the way..._

"My father too... taught me how to fight," Ike stated solidly at Lucina, who weakly went to retrieve her sword and get up. "And..." The Radiant Hero held his sword proud, looking at Ragnell's cracked blade from all its years of use, especially in his days of Tellius with the Greil Mercenaries. "...if I stay true to his teachings, I cannot lose."

"Crap, Lucina's in trouble!" Pit cried. "And there's five minutes left, their damage percentages are high enough for them to lose stocks!"

Mario closed his eyes. "Don't lose hope, Pit." The plumber opened them again, his blue eyes looking down on the battle, particularly at Mega Man and Ness. "It's not over yet."

.

"Look out!" Robin cried, pushing the frozen Kirby away from the incoming charge shot. The blast missed and it hit the nearby wall instead. As smoke rose through, Robin inspected Kirby for any injuries and asked if he was alright. His ally weakly nodded but rested his head back down, and the tactician rose up in anger. Robin's brown eyes pierced at the perpetrator of the attack.

"You again."


	9. Chapter 8

**_First off, I want to apologize. I know it's been so long, but I will inform you that this story is alive. I still wish to pursue it. I cannot promise fast updates, but I will do the best of my ability to update when possible. After all, Smash Brothers stories that focus on Mega Man are so rare, and it's a shame. He doesn't have much content on this archive nor is he a popular character here. Part of my goal for this story is to give fans of the Blue Bomber, (including myself) a story on the android we all know and love in the Smash realm, and give a friendly introduction on him to anyone new. I really love Mega Man so he deserves attention. I do have plans for another Smash related one shot regarding Rock, so keep on the lookout for that._**

 ** _Of course, that does not mean I will ignore Lucina. She's also a main character of this story and another personal favorite of mine, so she will get as much spotlight. In short, I wish to balance out Mega Man and Lucina in Blue as well as the rest of the characters in this fic. What I love about Smash is the diverse roster and setting, you can run with it in fanfiction, it's amazing really._**

 ** _So to veteran readers, thank you for your patience. And to anyone new, thank you for reading this far! I present you the rest of Day Four, carry on._**

* * *

 **8**

 _Day Four – Afternoon to Night_

* * *

"You again."

 _Smirk._

Robin scowled at the intruder's smile. This was new, the tactician recalled Mega Man appearing stoic in their last encounter. Now, he displayed emotion, but it was sinister. His lips curved in a twisted smile, while his electrical eyes shined red. The change of hue from the iris to the pupil of his eyes disturbed Robin. He thought Mega Man held blue eyes, as pure and innocent, perhaps they were contacts to shield their true colors. That red, a powerful color associated with blood, danger, and sacrifice was the true hue.

And that alone, gave Robin the impression that Mega Man was a rogue.

Yet something in his mind lingered, an emotion called doubt. As if who was facing him, was not Mega Man. It was someone else, an impostor, and Robin experienced this first hand during the conquest of Valm. Where he encountered a double of himself when meeting with Validar...

Such situation could be repeated here, but if so what was the cause of it?

Who was behind this?

Robin decided to test his hypothesis. He gripped Kirby to assure him that he was under the tactician's protection and went to impose questions, calmly. "Mega Man," he firmly said. "Why are you doing this? Why have you caused havoc among us, particularly me? I thought you were a warrior of peace, am I correct? That is who you are... are you, Mega Man?"

The last words were a combination of two questions in which Robin cleverly incorporated, testing if the android understood. He received his results when he heard Mega Man sneer.

"Oh, I am a warrior," he said darkly. "A warrior of strength enough to crush you, but, that strength shall be saved for Lucina who so desperately needs it. Don't you think so, Robin? I can't stand to be partnered up with a clone, it's a waste on someone of high caliber as myself."

Robin's eyes darkened, detecting the threat and Mega Man's cockiness. He asked, "And why would you want to do that? What is your objective? Why did you join this tournament?"

"Oh, that's a secret," Mega Man replied, shaking his head. "I can't say that yet, but you'll figure it out soon enough. Well, I better be off. It was fun testing out my weapons on you, expect more target practice in the future."

Before Robin could react, the android had teleported out, inducing the tactician to curse under his breath. He immediately rose up and dashed out of the training room with Kirby in his hands. The pink puff weakly looked up at Robin on where they headed to.

"Forgive me, but I need to find Lucina," Robin explained. "She's in danger. I can't allow this to continue any longer!"

Kirby wanted to reply, but his weak body succumbed him to rest.

.

"It's not over yet."

Pit heard it loud and clear, it was response to his worry on the match's outcome. He looked at Mario strangely, attempting to figure out the meaning. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You believe Mega Man's team will fail, I suggest you change your mindset."

The angel huffed at the plumber's vague words. He wondered if Mario was saying this to make him lose panic while watching the match. "Spit it out, will ya?"

"Pit hush," Link chided. "Just watch."

"Well gee, I would but I'm seeing my favorite team losing here – AH! Mega Man's back! Mega Man's back!"

The angel's face lightened once he saw Mega Man charging a shot towards Ness, the blue blast went out, going toward the PSI child.

"Farewell," Ike stated, preparing to strike his sword hard on Lucina. Now that she was in a weakened state, Ike sought to secure a blow. The bulk of Ragnell's blade would be enough to send Lucina off the stage and knock her out. Dreading this, Lucina rushed to retrieve Parallel Falchion from the ground. As she heard Ike's sword swing, she closed her eyes and braced for impact.

"Wah!"

The cry came from Ness, hit by the charge shot which made him fly. His tiny body collided against Ike, and the Radiant Hero dropped his sword. Ragnell skidded across the floor as the duo crashed down, much to Lucina's relief. Looking for the source, she found Mega Man who smirked and did a thumbs up. The princess smiled in relief at her savior. The other duo was invulnerable, and Lucina looked at her partner to test on a new technique.

Now was a perfect time. Mega Man nodded, and dashed toward the other team. Lucina ran from the other side, gripping Falchion to unleash her move. As Ike tried to recover, Ness gasped at Mega Man coming toward them. Ike went to reach for Ragnell to block whatever trick the Blue Bomber would do, only to meet with another surprise.

His back was stricken by a blade, Lucina's Parallel Falchion had hit, the blade scraping his cape into his skin causing Ike to yell from the sting. At the same time, vibrant flames hit him and Ness, scorching both. They cried in pain as Mega Man's flame sword passed through, the fire burning through their clothes.

"Ooh!" Pit cried, seeing the teamwork placed by the blue duo. "That's spicy!"

"A combination of their swords I see," Mario remarked with a chuckle.

"How amusing," Falco added, with Link impressed.

"Slashes and burns, quite the pack," the Hylian noted.

As Mega Man and Lucina finished their move, both landed on opposite sides. Ike and Ness separated from their blow and landed on opposing sides. Ness grunted as he rose himself and was intimidated to meet with Lucina.

Meanwhile Ike struggled to rose up, his body was abnormally hot due to the burns and hindered his performance. He felt his entire skin stung by the burns that smoke rose off him. He grumbled and looked up at Mega Man who tossed Ragnell, the blade perfectly implanting on the floor it landed on.

"Fight," he commanded, looking the sword's hilt sticking out from above. "with me."

Ike chuckled weakly, the tides had turned for this match. The Radiant Hero grabbed onto Ragnell's hilt as support to get up. "I was fighting Lucina."

"Not anymore, now you're against _me_. If you want to go against her, go through me."

Ike felt the presence of protection in Mega Man's voice, like a devoted knight, he smirked. "A good partner you are. Very well, I shall fight against you, Mega Man."

He pulled Ragnell from the ground and held it in his grip, determination seeped from his voice. "And I shall win."

"We'll see about that Ike," Mega Man retorted, raising his Mega Buster firmly. Ike said nothing and went to charge with his strength, holding Ragnell as his shield and weapon. Mega Man unleashed a series of plasma shots as offense, while Ike used Ragnell to slash through each one. As he reached closer, Mega Man switched his weapon to a more pestering tool.

 _Ice?!_ Ike cried in his thoughts as the freezing projectile came at him. He immediately flipped upon contact and ignited a move of his own. When he landed in front of Mega Man, he tossed Ragnell in the air and the Blue Bomber was thrown up. Realizing he was about to be caught in Ike's aether, Mega Man prepared a charge shot while in the air, which threw Ike off, but caught Ragnell regardless. While he seemed hesitant to hurtle it down seeing Mega Man's charge shot, he took the risk. Ragnell's blade managed to slam Mega Man, at the cost of charge shot unleashed and hitting Ike in the chest. Both combatants were thrown apart by the force, with Ike blasted in the air and Mega Man slammed down to the floor.

"Woah, that was intense!" Pit cried out. "Ike even lost a stock! I hope Mega Man's okay though... he's getting up! Woo, go Mega Man!"

"What force," Link added. "It looks like Mega Man's team is in the lead."

"Now you see?" Mario asked at Pit with a smile. "I told you so."

"I do," Pit replied. "But him and Lucina gotta be careful, they're at high percentages too."

"Looks like Ness may be next," Falco said, nudging his head toward the match below. The other Smashers returned their attention toward the match as Lucina's dancing blade slashed Ness.

"And he just got out by Mega Man's slash claw!" Pit cried. "Now they're definitely in the lead!"

"One minute left," Link announced. "Let's see what they can do."

"You hanging in there, Princess?" Mega Man inquired at his tired partner. Lucina nodded while trying to catch her breath.

"I am, thank you," Lucina replied, with the Parallel Falchion in her hand. "How about you?"

"Doing just as fine, but we have to be careful. We can easily be knocked out, especially now that Ike and Ness are back on the field at low percentages."

"Then we shall give it our all in this last minute!" Lucina cried, proceeding to run off towards Ness. "Hope will never die!"

"That's right," Mega Man said, unleashing his metal blade toward Ike. "We'll win this!"

.

"What the hell?!" Dark Pit's eyes widened as he looked around the ruined training room, with Samus inspecting around. He tried to fathom what had occurred here, and the only suspicion he held was that Mega Man caused such mess.

"Oh goodness," Peach gasped, hand in her mouth. Her partner, Greninja also inspected the area. "I knew something was wrong when we heard a sort of explosion, but I didn't think we would find this."

"You heard this recently, right?" Dark Pit asked at the princess.

"Yes, Greninja and I heard a rumble from above while we walked out of the food court. So we went down here to see what it was and here we are."

"Robin was here," Samus announced, finding a torn piece of black fabric from the debris. "And this mess was caused by someone with a blaster."

Dark Pit clenched his fists, so he was right. He hoped there wouldn't be another attack, but it occurred again, and inclined him to further the investigation. "Mega Man," he cursed under his breath.

"I beg pardon?" Peach asked at the dark angel. "Did you say Mega Man?"

Dark Pit darkened his eyes, unsure whether to tell the pink princess of the recent events. He suspected few knew of them, and whether it was rational to include others into the mix.

"Dark Pit, are you listening?"

"Oh, um... I mean, aw man."

Peach furrowed her eyebrows, questioning whether she heard right while Greninja approached her and pointed above. "Ja!"

"Hmm? What is it?" asked Peach at her partner.

"The perpetrator must have teleported himself out," explained Samus. "Right where you are standing, Peach."

"Oh my, who would do this? Why would they want to vandalize this place?"

"That's we're trying to figure out," replied Dark Pit. "Lots of strange things have been happening as of recent."

"Samus said that this perpetrator teleported out," Peach said warily. "and the only one I could think of who could teleport directly is..."

There was silence among the Smashers, and Peach's face outlined with worry. She hoped she was wrong in her conclusion. "No, I don't want to think that Mega Man did this. He's so innocent and kind, why would he – "

"We should report this to Master Hand," Samus cut off. "immediately."

"What about Robin?" Dark Pit asked.

"What about him?" Peach added. "Is it because Samus found a piece of his robe? Oh dear, I hope he's all right."

"You two find him," Samus declared. "I'll take care of the rest."

"Yeah, but what if it happens again?" Dark Pit asked warily, in which Peach held a curious look. "What if Crazy Hand finds this place and repairs it again?"

"I'll deal with Crazy Hand myself, now leave. There's no time to waste."

She was calm and urgent, Samus' serious nature led Dark Pit and Peach to run off with Greninja following them, leaving the bounty hunter with her own matters.

"What is going on?" Peach asked, concerned. "What caused that? Why was Robin there... oh, I have so many questions."

"Have you heard anything strange recently?" Dark Pit asked as they ran.

"Well, I've been busy training with Greninja that I have not paid attention. Why? Do you know anything?"

Dark Pit sighed, giving in to explain Peach the current situations at hand. "Yeah, and it's a long story..."

.

"Ten seconds left!" Pit cried as the heated match between the teams continued.

"If either Ike or Ness gets knocked out it's game," Falco said. "I'm surprised Mega Man and Lucina managed to keep their stocks alive at this point."

"But they're at more risk to – Lucina almost got knocked out!"

"Oof that was close," Mario said as Lucina recovered to the stage. "Very close."

"Five seconds," Link added, as he heard the announcer count down. The last seconds induced to pure brawling between the two teams with Ike releasing Ragnell's strength and Ness throwing out his psychokinesis. Meanwhile, Mega Man raced toward them his Mega Buster, and Lucina with the Parallel Falchion.

It was clash against duos, one final shot and it would be game.

"STOP!"

A voice hollered from a far, inducing the two teams to cease their weapons and look around, and the countdown diminished. Pit and the others also wandered their eyes onto who interrupted the battle. Robin jumped onto the battlefield with his tome in hand, his eyes stern, especially at Lucina. His abrupt presence brought shock to the others.

"Robin?!" Lucina cried in disbelief.

"Woah, how did Robin get in here?!" Pit asked, the other Smashers were as confused and looked down upon the scene.

"Lucina," Robin spoke cautiously. "I apologize for the interruption, but... I need to speak with you."

"What?" the princess asked, with Mega Man also joining in. "What's going on Robin?"

Robin narrowed his eyes, as Mega Man's innocence was bothering him. A while ago he attacked him, and now he was behaving differently? He ignored him and took Lucina by the hand, he hoped android wouldn't do anything with others around. Robin knew this was hazardous thing to do, but in case Mega Man did make a move he had his magic ready. He secretly suspected the worse could come since was going to exploit the robot, and Mega Man was aware. The android just did not expect it to happen now, in which Robin considered himself ahead of him and foil his plans. Better to take the risk now than ever. "Come with – "

" _You know stopping another battle without permission is forbidden, right?"_

Crazy Hand floated down to the arena, leading to Robin cursing and the others around him with confused expressions.

 _"You just had to come and ruin it,"_ Crazy Hand muttered at the tactician. _"Why don't you practice somewhere else? You know, if you keep causing any more trouble, I'm going to have to disqualify your team."_

Robin felt trapped, he grit his teeth in frustration. He had hoped to speak with Lucina privately on the matter and now it was ruined.

 _"Now shoo,"_ Crazy Hand said, pushing Robin away from Lucina. _"I won't let you disrupt this team, otherwise you'll face some severe punishment from yours truly."_

There was a grim hint in his voice that indicated he was serious, Robin had no choice but to concede, especially if Crazy Hand was here. Any sort of move and he would be punished. He was after all, a resident of the Smash realm and had to obligate to the rules of the superiors.

"Wait," Lucina said as Crazy Hand shooed Robin away. "If Robin needs to speak with me then I don't mind making time for it."

 _"Sorry, but that won't happen_ ," Crazy Hand declined. _"I enforce my rules seriously here, you know what? You two are forbidden from speaking with each other until the end of the tournament."_

"What?!" Robin cried, with Lucina also crying in protest. Crazy Hand picked up the tactician and threw him out of the arena. _"Out you go!"_

"Crazy Hand, why did you do that?!" Mega Man cried in protest. "He just wanted to talk to her!"

 _"We can't have any distractions! This time is supposed to be used for training, not chit chat! You got that?"_

"But Crazy Hand!" Lucina cried. "He just – "

 _"Not another word Princess! I want you all to get back to work! Oh, and I wasn't joking on what I said earlier. I don't want you speaking to Robin until the tournament ends! Go out of line and you'll face harsh consequences. I mean it."_

The erratic hand flew off, leaving the others disheveled, more in particular Lucina. The Princess of Ylisse was lost on the entire thing. "I – I don't understand."

She felt Mega Man place a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Princess. We'll figure it out later, I don't quite agree with what Crazy Hand did, but for now let's just resort back to battle."

"Shall we do a rematch?" Ike inquired, changing the topic at hand.

"Yes," Mega Man answered with enthusiasm. "Let's do it again."

As the two teams went back to fight again, Pit asked the others if they wanted to watch. "I guess we could stay for another round," Falco said. "Back up to the platform?"

"You two could watch. Link and I will be going," Mario muttered, leaving the platform. The Hero of Hyrule followed his partner. "See you later."

"Huh, they look a bit annoyed," Pit asked as they left the stage. "I wonder what's with them?"

.

"Can you believe that?" Mario asked as he and Link walked into the hall, angered by the injustice toward Robin. Such display bothered the plumber that he resorted to rant about it toward Link. "How could Crazy Hand do such a thing?"

"That's would I like to know," Link said. "Very strange."

"Indeed. I understand that Robin should have approached Lucina better than to disrupt her training, but going as far as to forbid him from speaking to her until the tournament ends? That's not right, I suspect something is wrong."

"You get that feeling too? So do I."

"Mario!"

Upon hearing his name, Mario looked up at Peach, Greninja, and Dark Pit coming their way. He greeted the two and Link waved. However, when he saw how disheveled Peach looked as she panted, he took her by the hands. "Princess? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Have... you seen Robin?" she asked worriedly. Mario rose an eyebrow while Link chimed in. "We just saw him, he interrupted Lucina's match to speak to her about something. But then Crazy Hand came and kicked him out for no reason."

"Wait, Crazy Hand was there?" Dark Pit asked shockingly. He suddenly grabbed Link's shoulders and shook him, desperate for answers. "What did he do?! What did he say?!"

"Hey, take it easy!" Link yelled in disapproval from the shaking, pushing Dark Pit away from him. Once he regained composure he said, "He told Robin he was forbidden to speak to Lucina until the tournament ended and kicked him out. He also forbade Lucina from doing the same. Then he left."

"Oh no," Peach mumbled at Dark Pit. "We're too late."

"What? Peach, do you know something?" Mario inquired at the pink princess, detecting something secretive. Peach hesitantly nodded and then looked at Dark Pit to see if he could explain. The dark angel sighed. "It seems more are finding out about the situation," he grumbled.

"What situation? Talk to us," Link advised. Dark Pit clenched his fists as a result. "Well, it's about Mega Man..."

"Go on," Mario said sternly.

Dark Pit looked up at the plumber, his eyes bright. "...we have to save Lucina."

* * *

In the infirmary, Kirby opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. He found himself on a bed, his head lightly wrapped in bandages. The star warrior turned right to find a tactician near his bed side. "Poyo?"

A bitter smile crossed Robin's lips, seeing Kirby recovering. Before he had left to find Lucina, he had left Kirby in the infirmary and promised he would return. Now an hour had passed, and he was relieved to find Kirby all right. "Hey buddy, how are you doing?"

Kirby rose up from the white sheets and noticed Robin's hardened features upon his face. He sensed a disturbance, and went to ask of it. The tactician chuckled grimly upon Kirby's observance. "I have been denied access to meet with Lucina."

The pink puff tilted his head in surprise, which led to Robin to explain. However, before he could, he noticed someone at the entrance of the room. Samus said his name as she walked in and took a stool near by to sit next to him. "What happened?" she asked.

"Samus," Robin mumbled, biting his lip. He had hopes she would listen since she was there with him the last time. "It... it happened again. He came back."

"I know," Samus replied. "I saw the destroyed training room. I assume you were caught in another assault."

 _So, she saw it,_ Robin thought in relief. He added while trembling lightly, "Indeed. We... were training and Mega Man appeared out of nowhere. He unleashed a charge shot at us and I went to push Kirby away from the blast. He got injured, and I looked at Mega Man who had these... terrible red eyes and a malicious smirk. I tried to reason with him, but all he said was that he will harm Lucina because of his distaste of clones and that his motives will be revealed sometime in the future."

"I see," Samus said softly.

"I'm worried Samus, something dangerous looms upon Lucina, maybe upon all of us. I was about to warn her of it, which was risky because Mega Man was there, but Crazy Hand has restricted me from speaking with her until the tournament over. His defense was that I interrupted a match she was having. He intervened and threw me out, I... I am lost Samus. I do not know what to do... Gods, why can't I do anything?! I'm a tactician, I should be able to think of strategies to get out of this mess and protect those I care about!"

He had slammed his fist on the bed, which led to Robin to sink his head on the mattress. "Damn it..."

The tactician felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at Samus who was trying to soothe him from this stressful situation. "Calm down," she said. "Being anxious will not resolve anything. You must remain diligent, we are going to get through this matter."

"But how?" Robin asked, sulking in his seat. "If... no one seems to believe me? I feel I have no one by my side. Even if I tell others about this incident they will want proof, and I bet the training room has been fixed by Crazy Hand."

"If it makes you any better, I did inform Master Hand about the situation."

"What? You... you did? What did he say? Did he believe you?"

"He did not make much comment, but he did say he is willing to investigate. He feels something is wrong too, particularly with his brother..."

"But what about Mega Man? And Lucina? What's going to happen – "

"I will add he has increased security around the mansion. Master Hand has placed a sort of protective barrier around if you will, to avoid any more attacks."

Robin said nothing, and looked back at Kirby. The pink puff placed his stubby little hands on his for comfort. "Poyo..."

"That doesn't mean we should hold off the investigation ourselves," Samus said. "We should keep digging deeper."

"You truly want to partake in this?" Robin inquired, surprised by her words. He felt that Samus was leaning toward supporting him in this difficult time. "Are you going to help me? Do you think we'll be able to pull off?"

"While working alone is a natural instinct for me, it seems cooperation may be needed here. You're going to need some help."

"And who will I get it from besides you?"

"Look behind."

The tactician spun around, his mouth agape when he saw a small group of Smashers behind the door. "Yo," Dark Pit said with a wave. Behind was the hero Mario with his partner Link. Then next was Princess Peach with Greninja. Finally, Prince Marth and Princess Zelda also stood with support. "Can we come in?"

Kirby's face lit up with glee upon the arrival of help for his partner. Robin's eyes widened as Samus released a small smile, making the tactician realize he was no longer alone in this difficult situation. He had found aid from fellow comrades, much like he received support from Chrom and the Shepherds during the war.

Mario chuckled upon Robin's expression. "Looks like you're in charge here, tactician. Just tell us what you need."

.

Night had crept the skies and the lights of the Smash Mansion turned on. In the Town and City stage, the two teams were doing a final round within. As Mega Man secured the win for his team with his Mega Upper toward Ness, the game concluded.

The Blue Bomber smiled at the results, after hours of sparring with Ike's team he noticed a definite improvement in teamwork. Both him and Lucina were stellar in working with each other, they were beginning to complement each other's weaknesses and strengths to pull efficient strategies. Indeed, this was a victorious stepping stone.

"Good game you two," Ike announced, extending his hand out for a shake. "I say these past few hours have been a work out, now I know what Ness and I need to work on."

"Yeah it was great!" Ness added happily. "I can't wait for the tournament next week!"

"The same for us too Ike," Mega Man said, shaking his hand. "It was quite a learning experience."

"It truly opened our eyes on how Mega Man and I cooperate," said Lucina. "I learned quite a lot."

"That's great to hear," Ike stated. "You two make such a wonderful team, and a force to be reckoned with. I hope we face each other during the tournament."

"Same here," Mega Man mirrored. "Have a good night you guys."

"Hm, you too. Come on Ness, let's go eat. I'm starving." The Radiant Hero proceeded to leave the stage with Ness scurrying behind.

"Well, that's that," Mega Man mumbled to his partner. "We worked our bodies quite a lot today."

"Imagine how intense it will be during the tournament," Lucina wondered.

"Oh yeah, I expect something from the real deal. But for now, let's rest for a while."

As Mega Man started to walk off, Lucina could not help but note how tired he looked. Perhaps the Blue Bomber had exhausted himself that he could not walk straight. "You all right, Rock?"

"Just a bit tired, I overworked myself.. but I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, do you need some assistance?"

"Nah, it's fine. I can just get Rush to – oof!"

Watching Mega Man trip, Lucina could not help but amusingly shake her head. "You were saying?"

"I'm okay," Mega Man said with his face flat on the ground. Lucina chuckled upon that response. "Here, allow me to help..."

"There's no need for that Princess – wha?!"

The Blue Bomber suddenly found himself on Lucina piggyback style. His circuits heat up and his cheeks unleashed a hue of red, feeling embarrassed by this action. "Princess! What are you doing?!"

"Why carrying you of course," Lucina said with a grin, then felt Mega Man's weight upon her. "Hmm, you're quite heavy, but manageable. Would you like to go back to your room to rest?"

The android stuttered his words as he looked away from the Princess timidly. Oh how the tables turned on him, now he was being carried. He was not used to this sort of thing. "Lu – Lucina you d – don't have to do t – t – this... I'm f – f – fine..."

She could feel him trembling that Lucina sensed Mega Man was uncomfortable. "Forgive me, do you want me to put you down?"

"U – uhhh... no, I mean yes! Yes, please."

"Are you sure?"

"No, I... I mean, yeah!"

Lucina sighed at his indecisiveness. "Oh Rock, just hold on to me all right? I know you're exhausted, so give your legs a rest. I do not mind carrying you back to your room."

The android said nothing and rested his head upon her shoulder shyly, obeying her command. Lucina chuckled at his action. "Now hold tight, Rock."

She proceeded to walk out with Mega Man resting on her shoulder. He smelt the scent of hair, pure and of lavender that it soothed him. He found himself in a soft trance and he closed his eyes to rest.

 _This is so weird,_ he thought. _But... also so calming..._

As Lucina walked toward Mega Man's room, she looked behind to find the android dozing off. She smiled, finding the scene quite adorable.

"I... I wish to thank you Rock," she said softly to herself as Mega Man dozed off. "You have been a pleasure working with so far, I'm really enjoying my time with you."

As she turned left into another hall, she continued with her speech. "I never dreamed that I would come this far. That I could do more than what my mission entailed in the past, I assumed my duty would only be to prevent a terrifying future in my realm. But... then I was invited here, and I... have met many different warriors with their own stories to tell... including you. I'm truly grateful for this experience... it has been remarkable. I hope that as the upcoming days spring forth, that we could become a little more than acquaintances. Your company is... much welcomed."

There was silence throughout the rest of the trip, Lucina had doubts that Mega Man had heard, but she was fine with it. In the future, she could give him his gratitude and tell him of her growing respect and fondness. There was no rush.

When Lucina arrived at Mega Man's room, she gently set her partner down. "We're here, Rock."

"Oh, already?" Mega Man inquired, rubbing his eyes. "Well, thanks... for the ride."

"You're welcome, Rock."

"Ah, I have to ask... was that your way of getting back at me... for carrying you before?"

"Hm, perhaps."

 _Of course,_ Mega Man thought, as Lucina smirked. Now it was even.

"Moving on," the princess said. "Shall we meet same time and place tomorrow for our fifth day?"

"...Yeah, sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow, Princess."

"Very well, have a good night Rock."

As Lucina faded into the hall, Mega Man smiled lightly while holding his door. What still surprised him was what she had done, but he felt a fuzzy feeling in his chest. It marked a change in their relationship, a pleasant one at least.

"You're something, Princess. I wonder if... we can be friends." He then went in and closed the door, easing himself to the night.

.

When Lucina arrived at her floor, she quickly looked both ways before sneaking toward Robin's room. While the princess managed to occupy herself in her training, she did not forget what Crazy Hand did to her friend. She needed to know what Robin wished to talked to her about, despite the rules Crazy Hand placed.

She recalled the fear in his voice, the apprehensive look, Lucina suspected there was something wrong. It was not like Robin to behave this way, unless for a good reason. She dreaded what the topic would be, did it involve her father? Had another evil came to terrorize her world? She felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach and told herself to relax. She took a deep breath and approached Robin's door. She was about to knock, until she heard voices coming from the other side. She leaned her ear toward the door to hear.

 _"We don't have proof that's an impostor."_

 _"Well we don't have proof that's him either."_

 _"Then we must speak with him, privately."_

 _What are they talking about?_ Lucina thought to herself, curious of the voices circulating Robin's room. Normally, the tactician's room was quiet and peaceful, for it being rowdy was out of the ordinary.

 _"But what about Lucina?"_

 _"We'll have to figure out a way to distract her, then Mega Man is ours."_

 _"So we have to separate them?"_

 _What?_

 _"Yes, it's for her own good. Just for a little while."_

 _"And if Crazy Hand finds out? We'll get in trouble."_

 _"At worst we do, and Lucina's team gets disqualified, but that could be better in the long run – "_

Lucina backed away from the door, horrified by what she heard. She could not fathom what was going on in that room, was her team in jeopardy? She quickly leaned her head again to hear more.

 _"No, we shouldn't deprive Lucina from the tournament. That isn't wise."_

 _"And let her join with Mega Man who hates clones and wants to destroy her?!"_

Lucina froze, a cold shock went through her body. She backed away from the door, despondent.

 _"He told Robin he's going to crush her! Mega Man's going to cause havoc at the tournament! That's what he's planning! He's tricking Lucina into trusting him and when the tournament happens he will turn heel and attack her! We have to warn her!"_

 _"Dark Pit, not so loud! Quiet, others might be hearing!"_

Lucina's eyes widened in shock, in disbelief as to what she heard from Robin's door. Was this what Robin was going to tell her? _No, that can't be..._

Her mind began to look for evidence against it, as she was in denial. Her entire time with Mega Man had been genuine and to hear this unexpectedly terrified her. However, the more she denied it, the more sick she felt. She began to think back on the previous days, particularly on the day of the Mii fighter match. She recalled her partner a bit out of it, such as his anger and reluctance to fight... which only brought evidence to _support_ what she heard. Then there was Robin's behavior earlier and what she heard from his room.

 _"It's natural to be afraid when doing something for the first time, right? That was our first battle together as a team, so I was a little scared about it!"_

And suddenly everything came crashing down, Lucina felt a new feeling in her chest. A dreaded sense of betrayal, that perhaps everything since that day was only a façade. That Mega Man was never willing to be her ally, and would stab her in the back when the time was right.

And the only time would be the tournament, where there would be complete trust.

 _No, this can't be right... no. But... he's been so kind... to me..._

The Princess of Ylisse clenched her fists, as memories of the past days angered her. The smiles, the laughs, the training... all of it caused her to consume rage. _That... little... and to think I started to trust..._

Lucina immediately ran to her room and slammed the door shut. She jumped onto her bed in tears, until sleep quietly drifted her into the night.


	10. Chapter 9

**_In the words of The Masked Gentleman: "One, two, three, four, did you miss me? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!"_**

 ** _See if you can figure out what game series that's from._**

 ** _How are you Reader? What's up? Hope you're doing fine and dandy._**

 ** _So another update has arrived for Blue! Huzzah? That is if you're still keeping track of this story, I feel like activity on the Smash Bros. fanfiction archive has declined. At least, on this site in particular. I could be wrong, but that's how I see it. Regardless, I'm still going to work on this story until it's done. That's my goal, so thank you for your patience! And... sticking by, me. I've been meaning to update this story._**

 ** _On another note, I think Nintendo stole e3 this year. With all the huge announcements that were made during spotlight (along with a few others outside of spotlight), I was quite impressed. Now I have to buy a Switch, but I do wonder about Smash..._**

 ** _If Smash does come to the Switch (whether new or a port), I would like to see some new characters. My most wanted being a puzzle solving gentleman, him in Smash would make me ecstatic! Who is your most wanted? I posted a poll on my profile if you're interested!_**

 ** _Also, I'm enjoying the hell out of Fire Emblem Heroes and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Having played a bit of the original Fire Emblem Gaiden, I never thought Intelligent Systems would remake it... I'm so grateful! The soundtrack for it is beautiful, I recommend!_**

 ** _Next, I'm a bit salty that Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 not coming to Switch/3DS. I was hoping to snag Mega Man 7, which I would have bought if I had the New 3DS, but I have the old one. MM7 is so interesting because of its dark ending._**

 ** _Finally, this is wishful thinking... but I hope a new Mega Man game is announced later this year, was a bit disappointed to see nothing new for our Blue Bomber at e3. It's his 30th anniversary, Capcom! Please, where are my fellow Mega Man fans at?_**

 ** _Well enough about that. I present you the first half of Day Five, let's do this._**

* * *

 **9**

 _Day Five – Morning to Midday_

* * *

When the sun shined on Lucina's face, she refused to open her eyes. She was awake; but she felt ill, and not in a physical sense. While the princess got her rest, it did not eradicate her troublesome feelings. Those anxious and dreadful feelings that she held from what she heard last night.

 _"He told Robin he's going to crush her! Mega Man's going to cause havoc at the tournament! That's what he's planning! He's tricking Lucina into trusting him and when the tournament happens he will turn heel and attack her! We have to warn her!"_

The words replayed in her head over and over, Lucina began to sweat. She could not believe it, she was in so much shock she couldn't fathom who said those words. All she recalled that the voice was masculine.

And to think that this could be what Robin wanted to tell her. His expression did not help either, she remembered how distressed he appeared when he wished to speak with her. The warning she heard, contradicted everything.

Everything she knew of the Blue Bomber.

He was kind, loyal, a peaceful warrior. She saw him as such, even if he wasn't organic, she felt Mega Man was a genuine being. These past few days she spent with him portrayed it as such. He was so far, a good partner, Lucina appreciated that. She had started to feel optimistic for the upcoming tournament.

Now, she felt everything had crashed down with the new information bestowed upon her. She didn't see him as a traitor, nor someone with malicious intent. Not with how he treated her so far, with such kindness - leading Lucina into growing quite fond of Mega Man.

The Princess of Ylisse felt lost, alone, helpless... unsure of what to do.

Until she recalled a memory, consisting of helpful advice from her mother.

Out of all times for advice, Lucina suddenly appreciated its arrival. Her mother was a calm and collected woman, loving and giving of guidance. Lucina admired that greatly of her, even more so when it involved trouble in the family.

The memory consisted of her crying over a simple blunder she made as a child. Afraid to explain it to her parents, she tried to conceal it. However, her anxiety grew worse... she confessed to her mother after suspicions were made.

She did not mean to do it, Lucina was only trying to train with her sword. But her strength managed to destroy a piece of Ylissean memorabilia...

...she lied about it being destroyed by her hands, that it was already broken.

Even though her mother saw right through her charade.

When she asked why she lied, Lucina explained the truth. She was afraid of what the reaction would be, to confront over how she felt and what she did. She secluded herself just to protect from the consequences, even though they would actually be minor, and that hiding would make things worse.

Lucina cried as she admitted the truth, and her mother simply knelt to her level, brushing a hand to her hair.

 _"It's all right,"_ she assured. _"We can always replace it."_

 _"But – but – "_

The young Lucina felt a finger shut her lips. Her mother said, _"Now that wasn't so hard to explain, was it? Lucina, you must be honest. Not just for me, but for yourself. Do not hide, do not lie, simply state the truth. Communication is key."_

 _"Mommy..."_

 _"If you lie just to protect yourself, if you hide what bothers you, it will only make things worse. Don't isolate yourself, Lucina. I want my daughter to be able to express herself, even of her mistakes. Don't mask them, otherwise you feel lost. If it ever comes a point where you do feel astray, then speak."_

The young Lucina sniffed as her mother wiped her watery eyes. She hugged her mother, feeling relieved that she was understood, and no longer feeling pain.

 _"Thank you, Mommy."_

Lucina opened her eyes, she blinked. How could she forget that advice? To resolve the conflict she was in, the solution was communication. She needed to confront either Robin or Mega Man over what she had heard. Hopefully it was just mindless gossip, or at least she began to think of it that way.

But if there was any truth it, then drawing Falchion would no longer be a choice.

.

"And then, well... she bid me goodnight. I went offline after that, and I felt pretty good. I say we're really doing well as a team so far. We complement each other well, she seems to like me... and I like working with her too."

 _"Wonderful to hear that my son. I'm glad to hear you are faring so well in the Smash realm,"_ said Dr. Light to Mega Man through call. He was happy to receive a call from his son regarding progress on his work. _"I look forward to seeing how you do in the tournament. You and Princess Lucina will be a formidable match."_

"Thanks Dr. Light," Mega Man replied, a slight smile crept up his face from the compliment. "I'll be sure to do my best out there."

 _"Of course you will!"_ called out the helper robot, Auto from the call. _"I expect nothing but the best from you, kid! Look at you go, attracting a nice lady by your side! Show off those guns, Mega Man!"_

In an instant, Mega Man's face turned bright red from those playful words. Of course Auto would flaunt his feats and tease him about it. The robot was such a huge admirer of him, he would do it at every chance he got. "It's not like that, Auto!" he cried. "We're just friends! At least, we're starting to become friends!"

 _"Only because of where you stand now. This calls for a physical upgrade, if you get one then you'll have a chance of sweeping a princess off her feet. So, when do you want one so you can truly become Mega_ Man _?"_

 _"Auto, enough!"_ Roll chided in the background. _"Have you no shame in embarrassing Rock?! We're supposed to be giving him encouragement!"_

 _"I'm just teasing, Roll! He's fine the way he is! Geez, lighten up a bit, will you?"_

 _"Why don't you help me clean the attic instead?"_

 _"But I already cleaned most of the house yesterday! Why do I have to do more chores?"_

 _"Because I need help!"_

Dr. Light sighed as the two robots behind him began to argue. Then he said, _"Well I must leave, I have some business to attend. Do you need anything else, Rock?"_

"No. I'm – " Mega Man paused himself when remembered something from a few days earlier. His behavior during the Mii fighter match. While it didn't seem that big of an issue now, it still was a bit concerning.

 _"Rock, is something wrong?"_ Dr. Light inquired, noticing his sudden silence.

"Ah! Oh... I have a question for you, Dr. Light."

 _"Go ahead my son."_

"Is it er... natural to be initially concerned with someone's prowess because of what they are?"

 _"What do you mean?"_

"Well, how should I explain..."

 _"Does this involve your partner?"_

Mega Man mumbled a slight 'yes' as a reply, with Dr. Light asking if it involved Lucina's playstyle. _"Is it because of her association with how similar she is to Prince Marth?"_

Mega Man answered feebly, "Maybe..."

 _"There's nothing wrong with it, they're related. Some fighters will just have similar brawl tactics."_

"Yeah, but..."

 _"I'm afraid I'm not understanding, Rock. Speak clearly."_

Mega Man sighed, he decided to explain the stigma with Smashers and the clone status. Feeling shameful with each word he spoke, and Dr. Light listened to his tone of voice.

"I felt... terrible," the android admitted. "I started to... judge her after what Wario told me. So when we were in that Mii fighter match, I wasn't giving it my all, because I thought we wouldn't have a chance. I was too wrapped up in doubts... and I was proven wrong. I should never let the words of others cloud my judgment and ability. What's worse when she asked me what was wrong, I lied that I was afraid. Like I actually was. It hasn't been brought up since we moved on, but I still feel guilty about it."

When he concluded his speech, there was silence. Mega Man deducted that he was going to get a lecture by his father at this rate.

Instead he heard Dr. Light ask, _"Does the clone status still bother you?"_

"Not really," Mega Man answered. "I view Lucina a lot differently."

 _"Then put it to rest, there's no need to wallow in that anymore. If it is truly an issue, then speak to her about it. I'm sure she'll understand. As for your initial reaction, I deduce that it something... well, natural in terms of human nature. People tend to initially judge others, there's no escaping it. As long as you didn't allow it to completely impair you from building a relationship with Lucina, then it's fine."_

"But it almost did, it was bad. I felt so irrational."

 _"Perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed. This is your first time in such a tournament, you do not know Lucina well, yet. It was the first few days where this occurred after all. I will warn you my son, do be careful in letting yourself be swayed by the words of others. I know it sometimes gets the best of you, especially when trying to do things for the greater good."_

"Like what?"

 _"Do you want to recall that time... with Albert?"_

Light's tone was dark, Mega Man tried to remember which specific moment he was talking about... for there was so many he shared with his arch nemesis. From sabotaging Dr. Light with the Gamma Project, to reviving an ancient threat to the world, the man had many memorable feats; and they weren't good.

Thinking about them made the android slightly irritated, the last he wanted to think about was Dr. Wily. Yet, he continued ruminate for the sake of what Dr. Light asked.

Then a faint memory came to him... it began to clear when Mega Man looked into it. It showed him in a crumbling lab, having defeated those who opposed him. Upon his vision he saw Wily on the floor, the weight of his destroyed machine crushing him. Mega Man approached the mad scientist silently, the expression of anger visible on his face. When Dr. Wily saw blue boots in front of him, he begged for forgiveness.

 _"Forgive me, Mega Man! I didn't mean to cause so much trouble, I won't do it again!"_

The android's eyes narrowed. Of course, another petty attempt of trying to escape from his crimes. He heard of such sentiments many times from Wily, so much he wanted to laugh.

 _"Apologizing isn't enough to cover the damage you have cost,"_ Mega Man said sternly, looking down at him. _"To me, to Dr. Light, to Roll, and to my city. I refused to be swayed by hollow words, you have betrayed my trust long enough. You're nothing but a criminal."_

 _"Please, let me leave quietly. I give up, okay? I won't do any more harm."_

As Wily nervously waited for an answer, he was stunned to find the Mega Buster aimed at his face. He gasped and looked at Mega Man with horrified eyes.

 _"No. I don't trust you,"_ Mega Man began in a dark tone. _"I'm going to do what I should've done long ago."_

 _"You... you wouldn't dare!"_

 _"If it is for the sake of peace, then I will."_

It was then that Dr. Wily began to laugh nervously, saying words that the Blue Bomber could never truly forget. _"You forget, Mega Man... about the laws of Asimov. Robots can't harm humans."_

Mega Man froze, his Mega Buster still toward Wily's face... but hesitant to pull the trigger. The android thought about those laws... having him put human lives above his own. It reigned this world.

And the laws extended to even those who committed crime.

But were they even applicable toward a madman who had caused so much terror to the world? He couldn't answer that.

He battled with himself over it... consumed with an overwhelming agony that tortured him. Over what was right, and what was wrong. He even debated on whether pulling the trigger, until he felt anger seeping over him over everything Wily had done. Mega Man's resistance toward it had built up into frustration... and after this, he was tired of it.

For no matter what he would do to ensure everlasting peace, Dr. Wily would always return with chaos.

It was enough. He was at his limit, this would be the last time Wily would commit crime, the last time the world would suffer. It was then Mega Man decided to almost do the unthinkable.

 _"I am... more... than... a robot,"_ he snapped, eyes radiating with fury as he charged his weapon. _"Die... Wily!"_

 _"Rock? Rock!"_

The Blue Bomber was snapped out of his memory, he gasped as he returned to reality thanks to Dr. Light. Now he remembered, he grimaced recalling such a terrible memory. He answered rather grimly, "Yes, Dr. Light?"

 _"Are you all right? You were silent."_

"I'm... fine. Just... I figured out what you were talking about. I understand."

There was a quick silence for a few moments before Dr. Light responded with a quick, "Ah." It was then that Mega Man decided to end the call.

"I'm... I'm going to look for Lucina," he said, his voice now in a calmer tone. "We only have two more days left, so I better get back to work."

 _"Very well. I will leave you be. If you have any concerns, my son, don't hesitate to consult with me."_

Mega Man nodded. "I will. Thanks Dr. Light."

 _"Take care, Rock."_

One click and the call cut off, Mega Man rose up from his seat. He called out Rush so he can find his partner and start the new day. Anything to move on from that awful reminiscence.

As he opened the door, he found neatly folded piece of paper on his doorstep. He picked it up to unfold it. "What's this?"

 _Dear Rock,_

 _I wish to speak with you before we begin our fifth day of preparation. There are some important matters I need to discuss. Meet me in the mansion gardens as soon as you receive this message._

 _Yours Truly,_

 _Lucina_

Reading its contents, the Blue Bomber was puzzled. He wondered what his partner wanted to talk about, he hoped they weren't serious. Even so, the only way to find out was to comply with Lucina's wish. He took hold of the note and left the hall, heading towards the gardens.

When he left, a hidden figure emerged from the shadows of the hall. He smirked as he held a note of his own.

.

"Zelda, did you leave the message?"

When she heard Robin inquire that, Zelda nodded. She and a small group of Smashers stood outside the food court. "Yes, right at Mega Man's doorstep. I hoped I managed to replicate Lucina's handwriting. He should be meeting us at the courtyard anytime soon. We must prepare ourselves."

"And get this interrogation going," Dark Pit added. "Now we'll find out what Mega Man's motives truly are, one way or another."

"Then we should head to the courtyard," Link advised. "Hidden until Marth makes the call."

"Marth should be there already, right?" Peach inquired.

"He should be," said Robin. "We told him to head out and wait."

"Then we have no time to waste," added Samus. "Also, remember that we mustn't intimidate him. Let us be straightforward, I don't want Mega Man to think ill of us because of this."

"Well one way or another, he's going to feel unpleasant," Mario said. "We can't make any guarantees here."

"You're talking as if he is actually innocent," Dark Pit muttered. "What if he isn't?"

"Then we have no choice but to stop and report it," Link said grimly. "I hope we don't get to that extreme. It would throw away everything we knew about Mega Man."

"And probably be banned from this realm for trying to cause harm," Mario stated. "I don't think that's ever happened before."

"Are we going to keep talking and not move?" Zelda asked impatiently.

"Ah, right," Robin recalled. "Everyone, let's go."

As the tactician led his group out toward the courtyard, Robin held faith that this would work. After endless debate last night – the final plan was a simple surprise interrogation, but in private. At least, without Lucina's knowledge. They thought that if the Ylissean princess was there, it would have caused havoc, as well as the possibility of Mega Man hurting her. So, they sought to settle this with little drama as possible.

Even though that probably wasn't going to be the case, as they faked a letter written by Lucina, done by Princess Zelda.

The letter told Mega Man to meet her in the courtyard. From there he would find Marth, Robin decided him being the first person the Blue Bomber would meet, would not have him suspect anything. The tactician would thank the Hero King's relation to Lucina that made this possible.

Marth would interrogate Mega Man vaguely, and when the android was off guard; Robin and the others would come at the prince's call, beginning the full questioning. If the android showed any restraint or would make a move on offense, taking out their own weapons wouldn't be an issue.

Yes, Robin was imagining how the scenario would go. Whether good or bad, he did not know, but he was willing to put his tactics to the test.

After all, that was what a tactician does.

 _I pray to the Gods that is all gets cleared up,_ he thought to himself. _Mega Man, please, prove us wrong._

.

In the gardens, Lucina patiently sat on a bench, observing the various plant life around. It was a beautiful sight, she thought, impressed by the different species of flowers in vibrant colors. It was nice to see that the mansion held something like this, as flowers were a rarity from her own time.

Seeing how lively it was, Lucina deduced that the garden was under good care. A light smile crept upon her face from thinking that. And thought that, perhaps she would like to have a garden of her own one day. That dream sounded pleasant.

Suddenly, rattling was heard. Lucina moved her eyes toward the bushes as to who caused it. A gloved hand pushed through, and out came her ally.

The Princess of Ylisse's calm demeanor was now a stern one. She had waited for Mega Man to arrive, and he did, listening to her orders.

"Morning," greeted the Blue Bomber softly. He smiled. "You wanted to talk, Princess?"

Lucina felt slight guilty over seeing that genuine smile, as she knew it wouldn't last long. Even so she had to get it over with; she needed to know, what was the truth, and what was not.

She felt this was the best choice, to speak with Mega Man her own way. He was, her partner after all. She wanted to get the answers from him, than anyone else. If anything he said was about her, then she would prefer to hear it from him, no one else.

Perhaps it was a misunderstanding of what she heard last night, but to put those rumors to rest... and to know the truth once and for all...

"Yes," she answered. "I have a couple of things I wish to discuss with you."

Mega Man nodded. "All right." He sat next to his partner, looking at her intently with care. "What's up?"

Lucina ruminated on how to start. When she figured it out, she took a deep breath to begin. "Have you... ever thought ill of me?"

Mega Man blinked, quite surprised on what he heard. "What? Think ill... of you?"

"Answer my question, Rock. It is all I ask at the moment."

Mega Man scratched his head, pondering on what to say. He then recalled his earlier conversation with Dr. Light and he felt sick. Should he tell her about that? What good would come out of bringing something from the past? How would Lucina feel? Would she... not like him for it?

No, at the time it was reasonable to feel doubts. Well, at least he was told it was fine. Perhaps he could just vaguely mention it...

"I guess if you really want to know," he began. "Well... I did have some doubts in the beginning, over how we would go as a team, because of your... um, clone status."

Lucina's face was slightly crestfallen, leading Mega Man to explain. "Ah! Well, it didn't bother me... that much, well now it doesn't. I've come to accept that of you, I... think despite that, you're your own unique person."

"Oh."

"It did cloud my judgment of you quite a bit... but that was my own fault. It's a flaw I have, to think irrationally... but know this, I don't see you as just a clone nor do I think ill of you. After everything we've been through so far... I've come to respect you, Princess."

The Princess could see a tint of red coming from the android's cheeks, from complimenting her. He finally added, "I really do, Lucina. A lot."

"Rock..." Lucina suddenly felt swayed by such kindness. However, she remembered of the task in hand, and refused to be distracted. So she held her serious face.

"So, that's all I have as an answer. Anything else?"

"Yes, thank you for the compliment. I appreciate it, but... something still concerns me."

"Oh? And what would that be, Princess?"

Lucina's eyes darkened, signaling the android that this would not be good news in the slightest. He was correct when he heard her say, "I heard some terrible things last night regarding you."

Mega Man pointed to himself in disbelief. "Of me?"

"Yes, that you... are trying to destroy me," Lucina explained, in which shocked Mega Man even more. "That you do not like me... that you told Robin you wish to harm me, and that this is all in act. At the tournament you will show your true colors."

Mega Man stood silent, trying to process what he had heard. Someone was speaking about him so viciously? Over things he wouldn't dare to even think of doing? He was in total disbelief, stunned that he was brought into such a negative light in such a dirty way. Was someone out trying to sabotage his team and his participation in the tournament? He couldn't fathom who would do such thing...

...and before he could react properly, he suddenly saw the Parallel Falchion aimed at his face. He looked up at Lucina in distress for pulling out her weapon so fast. "Princess?!"

"I do not know... if it is true," Lucina began, as she gripped her sword. "But if it is... then I will not hesitate to draw this blade. I will not allow myself to be fooled by honeyed words, so... Mega Man. What are your true intentions for this tournament?"

"Lucina..."

"Speak your word. And I'll be the final judge of your say, whether you speak truths or not."

A wave of emotions hit the robot, ranging from shock to anger. Mega Man could not form a proper response and stood silent. Lucina noticed the change, and thought of letting her guard down, but refused. Not when there was potential danger. Having lived through war, letting guard down was the worst one could do. It was where one was at its weakest, where one could easily be sabotaged.

Which was what happened to her father in her timeline.

She didn't want to fall into the same trap that Chrom did.

Seeing what was bestowed upon him, Mega Man silently rose up. He looked down, then back up toward his partner – feeling hurt.

Just when he thought things were going well. Now he felt he wasn't trusted, and if that didn't exist then how could their partnership blossom? Had Lucina realized that?

Then again, he knew of what happened to Chrom, so he understood why Lucina was so vigilant. Not to mention, she only knew of him for a few days. Trust wouldn't be so strong.

But if there was any way to salvage their friendship, he would do whatever it would take. It was then he decided to do one thing.

But before he would, he asked softly to the princess: "Do you trust me?"

This surprised Lucina. Before she could react, the android added, "It's fine if you don't. I understand why you feel so hostile. There is still a lot we don't know about each other, and it's certainly not going to take an entire week."

As Lucina stood silent, Mega Man continued, "I don't know where you heard that from, but I would appreciate if you can tell me who said such nonsense. That is not why I joined this tournament, I would never cause harm toward a human being. That is not in my programming, and if you don't believe me... then perhaps this will assuage your fears."

Lucina lightly gasped as Mega Man de armored himself. His armor dissipated, leaving a young man in a casual attire, with brown hair, blue eyes, and blue boots.

The princess was stunned, for she had never seen Mega Man without his armor. No, this wasn't even Mega Man...

This was Rock Light, a helper robot.

She then heard him lightly chuckle. "This is who is underneath Mega Man. Do I look like someone who would do harm?"

As Lucina was stunned by such display, her hand gently brought Parallel Falchion down. Now a feeling of regret came to her for being so hostile toward her own ally. He was being truthful after all, at least, she saw him as genuine.

From there Rock smiled sadly. "Heh, we're alike. We don't like to be fooled, we try to stay vigilant of others. I understand how you feel right now. If you... need some time alone, then I will leave you be. And if you wish to speak to me again, then I'll be around. Unless, you don't want that... and you're not convinced. If you're not... then you are free to cut ties with me. The last thing I want for you Lucina, is to feel unsafe around me."

He finally added, "I enjoyed my time with you. I've grown to like you, Princess. You've become someone who I look up to, someone who I would like to spend time with more. Never would I ever want to harm you. But... I understand if you don't feel comfortable. So, I leave the decision to you, Princess."

He decided the next course to take was to walk away, but before he could, a hand grabbed his arm. Lucina had stopped him from leaving. Rock looked at her and asked, "Yes?"

He did not expect a full embrace, Rock saw himself in Lucina's arms, leaving him stunned. "Huh?"

He felt a slight tear drop onto his shoulder, his blue eyes saw the Princess lightly crying. When he asked if she was all right, Lucina nodded.

"Forgive... me," she wept softly. "I didn't mean to behave like that. I... I simply - "

Rock returned the embrace. "No, don't apologize. I understand, you don't know me well enough to have complete trust. You were only trying to protect yourself, I can see why you would be wary of me. I would have done the same thing. Do... you know who said those things?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I don't recall who said such things."

"Then I'll report this to Master Hand. These sorts of rumors shouldn't spreading around. Until then, just know they're not true."

"I know, I know. I... believe you, Rock."

"And I do too, not that I didn't trust you initially. How about this? No more judgments, no more miscommunication. We will have trust in each other, and communicate openly. Okay? We're a team, Princess. I want you to know you can always talk to me on anything, just like I will to you. I want to continue our partnership, and perhaps if time allows it, then we can be... close friends."

 _Close friends._ Lucina felt a sudden wave of optimism quelling the rest of her feelings, she smiled lightly on hearing what her ally said. "I... would like that greatly."

"Then it's settled." Rock released himself from the embrace, and Lucina wiped her watery eyes as she sniffed. The android smiled at the new commitment they have made. "Let us continue to strive for the best, Lucina. And we'll do it, _together_."

The princess nodded, mirroring back a smile. "Yes, together."

She then looked around the garden once more, complimenting on how rich and lovely it was. "This garden... is beautiful."

"Hmm? You like flowers?" Rock inquired.

"Yes. However, I barely ever saw them in my world. They were a rarity, seeing this diverse garden makes me feel so... pleasant."

"I see..." An idea appeared in Rock's mind as he trailed off with his sentence. Yet, he decided it would be best to utilize it in the near future. So he hid it in the back of his mind for now, and went to change the topic.

"Now that everything seems to be settled, shall we begin our fifth day of training, Princess?"

"Oh! Yes, of course."

"Then let us be on our way." Rock, who transformed back into Mega Man, extended his hand out. "Come, Princess."

It was such a kind gesture, like a knight serving its master. Lucina gracefully took his hand. "I would be honored, Sir Knight."

She giggled when she saw Mega Man smirk at her playful teasing, and the Blue Bomber led her out of the garden. To her surprise, she didn't expect to find Rush in his jet form.

The dog barked as Mega Man brought the princess to the jet. "Ladies first."

Lucina was quite puzzled on the ride. "You're having your dog ride us to our destination?"

"Well, it's pretty far," Mega Man said. "If you recall we're going out into the forest. That is where I would like to train."

"Ah, right. There's also an event there we can try out, correct?"

The android nodded. "Yep, I wanna check that out too. So, come on. Rush doesn't bite."

"If you say so," Lucina said, jumping onto the jet. Not long did Mega Man jump in the front, he commanded his dog to fly off. Rush complied, and the two were soaring through the skies.

The Princess of Ylisse was amazed by how high they were in the heavens. "Wow! This... this view is amazing!"

"It gets better!" Mega Man called out as the wind blew toward them. "Now hang on tight, okay? Faster Rush!"

"Then I'll hang on to you!"

The android felt Lucina grab onto him for support, and Mega Man felt flustered from her body pressing on his. Regardless, he was glad she was enjoying the view.

Even more when she laughed on the way.

* * *

As Marth waited in the courtyard, Robin and the other Smashers settled in in the bushes, hidden. After waiting for half an hour, impatience started to settle in.

"Where the hell is Mega Man?" Dark Pit whispered in annoyance toward Zelda. "He got the letter, right?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it. I left it right at his door step," Zelda assured tiredly, for the fifth time.

"Maybe he is running late," Mario assumed.

"Wait, I hear footsteps," Link whispered, peering out into the courtyard. "Someone's coming!"

"Lord Marth! Get into position!" Robin quickly called out toward the Hero King. The Altean prince nodded and had his back toward the entrance, making sure it was the first thing the person would see when they entered the courtyard.

The footsteps stopped as the figure now stood, facing toward Marth. When Marth detected the presence, he turned, meeting the visitor.

To his expectancy, Mega Man stood. He had a devious smirk, and his armor appeared much darker in color. Marth noticed the small changes, which allowed him to have a puzzled look.

"Hello, Prince Marth," Mega Man greeted rather eerily. "Do you know where's Lucina? I received this letter, telling me to meet her here."

"Ah," Marth replied timidly. "Well... before you can speak with her, there are a few matters I would like to discuss with you."

"Enlighten me."

"First off, do you enjoy being in Lucina's company? It seems you two are doing well as a team so far."

"Oh of course. Your descendant is a sweetheart, I like her very much."

"And how do you feel about her relation to me? Particularly in battle style."

Mega Man shrugged. "It doesn't bother me, why do you ask?"

"Just... curious. There's been some controversy surrounding you lately," Marth explained with caution. "Word has it that you've been... secretly vandalizing the mansion and assaulting others. And, you have some motives that we don't know about... especially regarding Lucina."

The Hero King's eyes narrowed as he said that. He added, "I sincerely hope they aren't true, but I would like you to clear them up for me. At least tell me, are you aware of any of this information? Because I believe... I saw such vandalism."

Mega Man said nothing, in which Marth went to wait for an answer. Instead, he received a laugh. A dark, but heartful laugh. It sounded slightly sinister enough to catch Marth off guard. The Hero King's face was swept with concern as Mega Man laughed.

When the android finished, he wiped a small tear. "Ah, you must be seeing such things. I would never do that, destruction is not in my nature unless called for. I'm a peaceful warrior, and I loathe violence. It saddens me that you have such a jaded view. What would Lucina think?"

Before Marth could respond, Mega Man stopped him. "You don't need to explain, I understand. I'm not easily approachable, I suppose. Especially with what I am, a robot. Compared to those who are organic, I am not guaranteed the same freedoms. You must see me as an inferior."

"Mega Man, that's... that's not true," Marth refuted.

The Hero King's words were not enough to stop Mega Man from talking poorly of himself. "If you are trying to frame me over crime with little evidence, then go ahead. Not that we robots have any way to protect ourselves from the law, when they dictate our purpose. However..."

The Blue Bomber pulled out his Mega Buster, his eyes turning red and with a smirk. "...let's see if you can try before I eliminate you."

Suddenly stunned from what he said, Marth stood frozen in horror... enough for Mega Man to lash out charge shot toward the Hero King. However, to his dismay, Link jumped in front of Marth to block the shot with his Hylian shield.

"What?!" Mega Man cried in disbelief, he growled upon the appearance of the other Smashers coming out of the bushes, weapons in their hands.

"I knew it!" Dark Pit cried, pointing his bow at the rogue. "You were lying about what you said just now, were you?!"

Mega Man smirked, much to their shock. "So what if I did? You people are so easy to trick."

A few of the Smashers gasped. Marth and Mario being the most unsettled by what they witnessed.

"Mega Man, why are you doing this?" Mario asked in disbelief. "What do you plan to do?!"

"That will be revealed soon enough," Mega Man answered darkly. "It's only a matter of time before it comes to full circle. _Master_ will be pleased."

"M – Master?!" Peach cried nervously, wondering whom Mega Man was speaking of.

"So _you_ were the one who committed those assaults!" Dark Pit yelled out. "I knew they weren't illusions! You're working with Crazy Hand over something, are you?!"

"Like I said, everything will be revealed soon enough," Mega Man sneered. "Until then enjoy these little shows of chaos performed by yours truly. Time to pen the next chapter, starting with eliminating my worthless clone of a partner!"

"Traitor!" Marth yelled, swiftly unsheathing Falchion. "We trusted you, Mega Man!"

"Yeah? Well you're an idiot for putting such faith in me, Hero King."

"So, it has come to this," Mario said, clenching his fist as he felt anger radiating from himself. "I never thought I would ever see my friend in such light, words cannot express how I feel right now. If this is truly who you are Mega Man, then you do not belong here in the Smash realm. Such treason is punishable by a permanent ban, I will tell Master Hand of such conduct. Consider yourself a traitor."

"Then a traitor I am. Go ahead, I could care less. All of you are pathetic, as this stupid realm! Master Hand was foolish to invite me, and more foolish to allow me near the likes of a stupid clone! If I'm going down, then I'll take her with me!"

"No!" Robin protested, angrily charging a thunder tome. "I won't allow you to bring any harm to Lucina! Arcthunder!"

The ball of thunder rushed toward the Blue Bomber, in which he swiftly avoided by jumping. Mega Man snickered, just what he wanted. A fight. As he flew in the air, his Mega Buster shot down plasma.

Link held up his Hylian shield to protect others from the shots, while Zelda casted out Din's Fire. Greninja unleashed out Water Shuriken as Mario ran through the blasts. The plumber never expected to fight a good friend, but it had to be done. Next to him dashed Marth, with his Falchion gripped tightly. The Hero King felt such a betrayal that fighting was now their only option.

Indeed, their view on Mega Man had changed. No longer did they see him as a kind warrior with justice and peaceful goals. He was a traitor, willing to bring chaos onto this world. Perhaps everything about him was a façade, and how clever he was to manage tricking others into thinking he was a good being.

Seeing the two running toward him, Mega Man whipped out metal blades. He figured Metal Man's weapon would be enough to deter the two, as it always managed to stop others during battle. There was a reason it was deemed overpowered with its fast range and easy accessibility. He dodged both Din's Fire and Water Shuriken so he can throw his blades out.

He was correct when Mario barely avoided them using his yellow cape, shoved Marth away, only to slip from his cape and the two rolled onto the floor. Meanwhile, Dark Pit used his Electroshock arm to block the blades away. He yelled, "You'll pay for this!"

"But we're just getting started, clone!" Mega Man cried deviously, shooting from main weapon while deflecting attacks in the air. "Come on, is that what all of you got?!"

"None of our attacks are working!" Peach cried. "He's too fast!"

The pink princess noticed that the others were beginning to exhaust themselves while engaging in this combat against Mega Man. However, the refusal to give up was apparent. "No, we're not done yet!" Robin cried, panting. "Traitor!"

Mega Man yawned, mocking his opponents. "You guys bore me, time for something new." This time, he tossed Hyper bomb toward them, leading the others to flee their positions.

Smoke rose out, the android grinned when he saw the Smashers coughing. _Have fun,_ he thought to himself.

"Time to find Lucina," he declared loudly. "See if you can find her before I can! But first... have some fun with some friends!"

The android disappeared out of sight.

.

The forest was quiet and peaceful as it should be, and Mega Man hopped out of the jet. He took Lucina by the hand and gently set her down. The princess quietly thanked him while he nodded.

"Well, we're here," Mega Man announced proudly. "The forest. Did you enjoy the ride, Princess?"

"I did... it was, quite fun. I've never been in a ride like that before."

"Heh, well glad you liked it. Maybe we should have Rush as our main transportation from now on."

Rush happily barked while Lucina chuckled. "I certainly would not mind."

"Mm. Well, let's find the event. It should be here somewhere..."

The three began to wander through the trees, and Lucina wondered what event Mega Man spoke up. She went to ask the question. "May I ask, what this event will entail?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Mega Man asked. Lucina shook her head in response and the Blue Bomber apologized. "Oh, sorry. I thought I did. Well, it's an event based off a Smash Run mission. To see how many enemies we can kill depending on the time limit."

He added, "Of course this will be a team effort, so more kills are expected. It's like the Mii Fighter one, but with enemies."

"I see, and who is hosting it?"

"Dunno, but we'll see soon enough. However, this event is interesting, because we are not staying at one place. We have to look for the enemy through a course, which is in this forest. We're also being given items to help us."

"How convenient."

"Yeah, now if only we could find it..." Mega Man muttered. "Come on, I know the coordinates... I wonder how far we are."

He began to tinker with his helmet, Lucina speculated he got the information from that, she stood next to him and observed.

"Huh," Mega Man mumbled. "It's not that far. Maybe in a three mile radius..."

"Are we close?" Lucina inquired.

"Yeah, we're getting there," Mega Man replied. "Let's keep moving."

As the duo pressed on with Rush sniffing, a hard melody played in the distance. Rush's ears perked up as he picked up the sound.

"What is that?" Lucina asked, also moving her head about.

"Sounds like a trumpet..." Mega Man said, trying to detect the type of instrument used. "...wait a minute, I know that melody."

"What is it?"

"All I know is that it's from Link and Zelda's universe. In fact, this forest is said to be based off a location in Hyrule called the Sacred Grove. Someone must reside here."

"I wonder who would roam this forest," Lucina added.

"Link and Zelda probably know. Maybe if they're at the event, we'll ask them. For now, let's keep going, Princess. You too, Rush."

The three continued forward, and the deeper they went in the forest, the more Lucina grew unsettled. The trees were huge enough to disallow sunlight to protrude through, so it appeared dark within. The setting itself reminded her of a time when she first returned to the past, saving her father and aunt from risen who threatened them. More in particular, Lissa.

Of course the difference was that forest was in flames, here it was more... serene.

Too serene.

The trumpet melody was heard again, only it was closer. Lucina covered her ears slightly in which Mega Man noticed.

"You all right?"

"I'm fine. I find the sound so obnoxious."

"It is a bit unpleasant, but don't worry. We're almost there, hang on, okay?"

The princess nodded, but then froze when she saw a figure in the trees. She yelped and backed slightly.

"What's wrong?" Mega Man asked with concern.

"I, I saw something..."

"Where?"

"Over there." Lucina pointed at the specific area, but Mega Man squinted his eyes. "I don't see anyone."

"I swear I saw someone," Lucina proclaimed. Mega Man halted her.

"Relax, I believe you. Maybe we could see if someone is watching us."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, how about this? Rush and I will look around, you stay here, okay?"

"But – "

Before the Princess of Ylisse could retort, Mega Man took off with Rush at his side. "We'll be right back! Come on, Rush!"

Lucina groaned, not wanting to stay put. Of course Mega Man had to dash off, she sighed as she stood.

Yet the moment's peace to herself would not last, when she heard the sound once more. This time it was loud enough to hurt her ears. She covered them in distress. "Ugh!"

 _"Heehee..."_

When laughter was heard, Lucina spun around. "Who's there?"

 _"Heehee... haha..."_

A figure flew through the trees, and Lucina unsheathed her sword as defense. "Show yourself!"

The princess felt something tap her shoulder. When she turned around, she screamed.

A creature in a red cloak and straw hat laughed as he hung upside down from a tree branch. He held a trumpet, with a colorful mask covering his face. Lucina was startled by such creature she jumped back. "Who are you?!"

 _"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"_

"What?"

 _"Run. Run... they're coming..."_

The creature blasted his trumpet at the princess' face, leading her to flee off. However, underneath his mask he stared at the direction she went, with worry.

"Find anything, Rush?" Mega Man inquired as he patrolled the area. The robotic dog shook his head, and Mega Man sighed.

"Well, that's it then. If there's no one around then we should head back, let's go boy."

The android walked back, with news that no one was nearby. Hopefully this would ease his partner's fears.

As he returned to the spot, he stumbled upon a cloaked figure standing with its back turned on him. Mega Man was puzzled to find this, particularly on the pattern of the cloak. It had the same design as the one Robin wore.

Before he could progress further, he recognized Lucina was no where in sight. Concerned, he approached the figure. "Princess?"

The figure turned, its face unrecognizable as the hood covered it. Suspicious, Mega Man asked, "Robin? Is that you?"

The figure smirked underneath its hood, charging a hidden tome beneath its robes. Once Mega Man saw it, the figure blasted out heavy dark magic. The Blue Bomber swiftly avoided the mass lightning and skidded down the grass.

His eyes widened when he realized the type of magic it was. _Goetia?!_

As one of his arms transformed into the Mega Buster, the figure laughed. It was feminine.

"So, you're the real Mega Man."

.

Lucina panted as she ran away from the area, horrified by who she just met. Whoever it was, it was quite frightening. She had stopped running to catch her breath, and glanced around her new location.

Upon her view she saw a sign displaying an event at the end of a path. Her face lit up as it read about the enemy event. She had found it. However, Mega Man was not with her. Lucina had to go back to find her partner and bring him here. Yet, she was still unnerved by what occurred back there... regardless, she knew she had to return. Perhaps Mega Man was back there and looking for her.

She was wrong when she saw the Blue Bomber come out of the bushes, and she smiled at his appearance.

"Rock!" she greeted. "I found it!"

The android said nothing, and Lucina's smile dimmed in response. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Mega Man replied, fixing his scarf. He glanced at the princess with a devilish smile. "Not at all."

He held out his gloved hand toward the princess. "Shall we go in and participate in the event? They're waiting for us."

Lucina sensed a sort of unease coming from her partner. What was interesting was the scarf he now wore, which he didn't have before. Where did he get it?

However, she decided to push her doubts, as she felt this was testing on her trust to her partner. After what was recently established between them, she knew she had to keep her faith in him. For the sake of their team.

She smiled as she took his hand, expressing confidence. "Let's go."

.

The smoke began to clear. Robin desperately decided to make everyone follow after Mega Man. "Come on! Lucina is in danger! We have to find her!"

"Right!" Zelda called out. "We have no time - !"

"Watch out!" Peach cried as Zelda jumped away from a small opening. Instantly, the Smashers saw small portals opening from the surface of the courtyard floor, surrounding themselves to the middle.

"What's happening?!" shouted Link, trying to decipher what was occurring. Once the portals were at an appropriate size, a disgusting odor came through, the smell of rotten flesh. Rotten hands and heads began to rise from the portals, and came out undead beings.

"What... what the hell is this?!" Dark Pit called out in disbelief, the other Smashers observed in disturbance.

"Zombies?!" Peach proclaimed, trying to think of what they are.

Samus was about to respond, but then saw Robin a frozen state, his pupils shrunk in denial. As he knew what these monsters were. He never thought he would see these things again, he quivered as he tried to speak. When the bounty hunter asked if he knew anything, he turned to her with an anguished face and gulped.

"Risen."


End file.
